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Caitlin Clark 's five-game absence from the Indiana Fever's lineup was a tough stretch for the WNBA — which reportedly saw a massive ratings decline as she nursed a quad injury.
According to USA Today, league-wide viewership was down 55% during her time away. With nationally televised Fever games dropping from an average of 1,810,000 viewers to 847,000 viewers over that span.
However her season-high 32 points in Saturday's win over the Liberty led to ESPN's third most-watched WNBA game on ABC in the history of the network.
The @IndianaFever's victory over the @nyliberty on Saturday delivered the 3rd most-watched WNBA game on ABC EVER
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) June 17, 2025
2.2M avg. viewers (2.8M peak)
WNBA on ESPN up 14% from last season pic.twitter.com/noWzK8RIFf
Per ESPN PR, Indiana's victory against the reigning WNBA champs drew an average of 2.2 million viewers with a peak of 2.8 million.
That average was reportedly up 76% over last season's average audience for WNBA games on the channel. And so far in 2025, viewership is up 15% year-over-year across the Worldwide Leader's platforms.
Clark's 32-point outburst over the weekend included seven three-pointers, 8 rebounds and 9 assists on the way to a 102-88 W in front of the home crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The former No. 1 pick is averaging 21.6 points, 9.2 assists and 6.4 rebounds on 36.7% shooting from deep in her five starts this season. While the Fever sit at .500 and third in the Eastern Conference standings.
Next up is another Commissioner's Cup game vs. the Connecticut Sun where Indiana enters as 17.5-point favorites on Tuesday night.
More must-reads:
- Three-time All-Star will be key to Fever weathering troubling Caitlin Clark injury update
- Yankees have finally found their third baseman in Ryan McMahon
- The 'NBA Summer League MVPs' quiz
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Dallas Wings Make Paige Bueckers Decision After 18th Loss of the Season
The Dallas Wings had a lot of momentum entering Friday’s matchup against the Golden State Valkyries. This is after Paige Bueckers and Co. blew out the Seattle Storm on Tuesday, 87-63, in their first game back following the WNBA All-Star break. The Wings, however, came crashing back down to earth on Friday with a disappointing loss to the Valkyries at Chase Center, 86-76. Paige Bueckers Comes Up Big for the Wings Bueckers did all she could for Dallas in this one, dropping a team-high 17 points on 7-of-15 shooting, to go along with one rebound, six assists, four steals and two triples in 37 minutes of action. While Bueckers’ effort ultimately came up short, the Wings took to social media shortly after the loss to announce the team’s decision to name the rookie as the Player of the Game. “Paige is your @childrens Player of the Game tonight ” the team posted on X. Bueckers' Effort Not Enough for the Wings Bueckers has been one of the most consistent players on the roster for the Wings amid what has been another forgettable season. Entering Friday’s matchup, the 23-year-old has averaged 18.2 points on 44.9% shooting, 4.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.7 steals in 34.5 minutes per contest. Nevertheless, Dallas has still struggled mightily this year, and Thursday’s defeat was their 18th loss of the campaign. They are now 7-18 on the season and are sitting at the second-to-last spot in the league, above only the 3-20 Connecticut Sun. The Wings will be back in action in a tough back-to-back set as they battle the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday, followed by a matchup against the defending champions, the New York Liberty, on Monday.
Yankees have finally found their third baseman in Ryan McMahon
After years of speculation and nothing materializing, the New York Yankees have at last acquired third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies, per the New York Post's Jon Heyman. Pitching prospects Griffin Herring and Josh Grosz are headed to the Mile High City in return. They were the number eight and 21st-ranked prospects in the Yankees' farm system, per MLB.com. Given the Yankees' struggles at the third-base position over the last few years, bringing in a guy who was an All-Star in 2024 and will be much more reliable is a win. Former MLB player and current analyst Cameron Maybin certainly believes that, as he was pushing the McMahon-to-New York narrative over the last week and feels it could be a great fit for both sides. "The third baseman they need plays in Colorado...I'm telling you! Defensively more than adequate and Taylor made for the ballpark offensively," Maybin wrote on social media. Maybin went on to mention how McMahon will feel reinvigorated joining a World Series contender like the Yankees after the last six-and-a-half years of being at the bottom in Colorado. The 30-year-old is not having his best season, slugging 16 home runs and 35 RBI with a .217 average through 100 games with the Rockies, per MLB.com stats. However, he's consistently been a 20-plus home run hitter who drives in runs at a strong rate and has a large sample size of doing so. Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez (.252 average, 36 HRs, 86 RBI) has seemed to be No. 1 target for most teams, and for good reason, but given the Yankees' current situation and weaknesses, McMahon made more sense. Not only does he play a better third base, which New York desperately needs, but he has another two years of control after 2025, whereas Suarez would have been a rental. The acquisition cost was nothing crazy, and adding a lefty bat with some power to potentially take advantage of the short porch at Yankee Stadium is always a bonus. Some may not be satisfied until they see McMahon positively impacting the New York Yankees, but rest assured, this is a very solid pickup.
Celtics Called Out for Trading Away Former First-Round Draft Pick
The Boston Celtics recently traded away a first-round draft pick, who ultimately became one of the best players in the league. The Celtics held the No. 30 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, but instead of taking a player, the team opted to trade the pick, along with forward Enes Freedom's salary, to the Memphis Grizzlies in a contract dump situation. The Grizzlies chose shooting guard Desmond Bane with the pick, who established himself as one of the best players at his position in the league. More news:Former Celtics Forward Says His Injuries Are the Reason Jayson Tatum Became Superstar in Boston Although he's a bit undersized for a two guard, Bane provides rare two-way value on both ends of the court. On the Celtics, he could have flourished, but it never materialized. According to ESPN's Zach Kram, the trade has aged poorly, to the point where it could be one of the worst moves that the team has made since 2020. "This was a reasonable move at the time: The Celtics didn't have room on their roster for another young player, and trading Bane's draft rights allowed them to shed Enes Freedom's salary," Kram wrote. "Nobody expected the No. 30 pick to develop into the sort of player who'd one day command four first-round picks in a trade," Kram added. This summer, Bane was flipped to the Orlando Magic, where he figures to provide a massive upgrade to the team's backcourt shooting and scoring. "But Bane did, and Boston certainly could have used him over the past half-decade," Kram noted. "A solid defender for his position and career 41% 3-point shooter, Bane would have been a perfect fit in the Celtics' system." More news: Celtics Urged to Sign Former All-Star in Major Free Agent Move While Bane would have ended up on a big contract down the line, he fits the mold of the ideal Celtics player, providing consistent shooting at a high volume with impressive perimeter defense. He offers similar value as Derrick White, though he is younger and has much more basketball left in his career. While the Celtics could use Bane, the team still ended up winning the 2024 NBA championship and looks poised to challenge for a title for the next decade. More news: Celtics Could Trade $45 Million Guard in Major Roster Shakeup: Report For more news and notes on the Boston Celtics, visit Boston Celtics on SI.
Former Eagles champion announces retirement from NFL
One veteran NFL defender is ready to trade the football field for the golf course. Former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jordan Hicks announced in a post to social media on Friday that he is retiring from the NFL. Hicks is calling it quits after 10 career seasons with four different teams. “I walk away with peace knowing I gave football all I had, and that the best is yet to come,” Hicks wrote in his post. You can see the post in full here. Now 33 years old, Hicks was a third-round draft pick by the Eagles in 2015. He spent the first four seasons of his career with them and was a member of Philadelphia’s Super Bowl-winning team in the 2018 campaign. Hicks later went on to play for the Arizona Cardinals, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Cleveland Browns as well. The former University of Texas star Hicks was one of the more versatile linebackers of his era, capable of playing all three positions (inside, middle, and outside). He tied for third in the NFL with five interceptions during the 2016 season and also later ranked third in the NFL with 150 combined tackles during the 2019 season. Hicks made 12 appearances in 2024 for the Browns but is now content with walking away from the game. He also dealt with a dangerous physical condition that required hospitalization a couple years ago and has thus decided to move onto his next chapter.
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