ESPN still managed to break countless WNBA viewership records during a season where the league’s biggest star was largely absent from action.

Earlier this month, Indiana Fever sensation Caitlin Clark confirmed she wouldn’t be making a comeback to the court this year – officially ending her injury-plagued season.

The top selection in the 2024 WNBA Draft was restricted to merely 13 games while dealing with left quad and groin injuries, plus a bone bruise in her left ankle that occurred during an August workout. It comes after Angel Reese seemingly forgot about her previous complaints by flaunting her private jet.

Despite Clark’s extended time away, the WNBA kept pulling in record-smashing viewership figures this year. On Friday, ESPN revealed that the 2025 season was the network’s most-viewed WNBA regular season in history.

Throughout 25 games, WNBA matchups broadcast on ESPN networks – including ABC – pulled in an average of 1.3 million viewers, representing a 6 percent jump from last year’s previous record-breaking campaign.

Across 24 games in 2024, average viewership sat at approximately 1.2 million. Additionally, ESPN and its networks claimed eight of the top 10 most-viewed WNBA games of 2025.

The much-anticipated showdown between the Fever and Chicago Sky on May 17 topped all contests, attracting an average of 2.7 million viewers on ABC.

Off the court, ESPN’s studio program “WNBA Countdown” saw a 7 percent boost from last year, pulling in 549,000 viewers across 17 episodes. The impressive figures serve as evidence of the expanding fanbase that the WNBA has skillfully cultivated in recent years, largely thanks to the rise of multiple generational talents – with Clark leading the charge.

The 23 year old was last seen in action on July 15, when she sustained a right groin injury during the final minute of the Fever’s 85-77 victory against the Connecticut Sun.

DON’T MISS

Turning to social media on September 4, Clark announced that she would miss the rest of the WNBA season despite exhausting every effort to stage a return.

“I had hoped to share a better update, but I will not be returning to play this season,” Clark wrote on X. “I spent hours in the gym every day with the singular goal of getting back out there, disappointed isn’t a big enough word to describe how I am feeling.

“I want to thank everyone who had my back through all the uncertainty. This has been incredibly frustrating, but even in the bad, there is good. The way the fans continued to show up for me, and for the Fever, brought me so much joy and important perspective.”

While the WNBA would have certainly preferred to witness Clark compete on a regular basis, the league can feel confident knowing that their audience doesn’t depend entirely on the Iowa standout’s participation.