The New York Liberty lost their first game of the season against the Indiana Fever Saturday, but in the grand scheme of it all, head coach Sandy Brondello knows the value of those matchups goes beyond wins and losses.
The Fever handed the defending WNBA champions their first loss of the season behind Caitlin Clark’s stellar performance.
The reigning Rookie of the Year dropped a season-high 32 points and made seven 3-pointers in the 102-88 victory, while Sabrina Ionescu scored a season-high 34 points for the Liberty.
ESPN released the TV ratings for the anticipated matchup, which was the third most-watched WNBA game ever on ABC with an average of 2.2 million viewers.
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The game peaked at 2.8 million viewers, a 76% increase from last season’s regular-season average on the network.
Speaking to reporters ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Atlanta Dream, Brondello was asked about the viewership milestone. While admitting it was a game she wished the Liberty closed out, Brondello acknowledged the importance of reaching a larger audience.
“I love it. That’s what we’ve been trying to aim for since the league started a long, long time ago,” she said. “It certainly was a good show, and Caitlin put on a great performance there.”
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Saturday’s viewership numbers follow a trend that began last season, when the WNBA had its most-watched regular season in 24 years and its highest attendance in 22 years.
Much of that success correlated with Clark’s debut. She set league records for most assists in a season (337) and most assists in a game (19). She also became the first rookie in league history to record two triple-doubles and set the single-season rookie record for points and 3-pointers made.
The league’s rapid growth has generated ratings numbers that rival other major sports leagues in North America.
The Athletic reported Tuesday that the Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers has had average viewership numbers in the U.S. between 2.3 and 2.6 million for the first four games of the series. According to the report, it marked a 25% decrease from last season.
“The more people can get eyes on our game, they’ll fall in love with it because this is the best place in the world,” Brondello added.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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