Any attempt to distance the surge in attention the WNBA has enjoyed in recent years from Caitlin Clark is, without doubt, a stretch. The evidence is clear; people watch her. The league office and its national broadcast partners understand this as well. So, their decision to have all 44 of the Indiana Fever’s regular-season games broadcast on national TV this year should, at the very least, be viewed as understandable, if not outright smart. 

As it appears, award-winning journalist Dawn Montgomery, is not impressed with this decision. “They ain’t won sh-t, but will be viewed the most on television by y’all,” she wrote on X, reacting to the news. “I’m still not watching nor attending their games. Even when they play the Dream. Year two for me choosing to do this.” Of course, not everyone will be impressed. And it’s understandable if you don’t consider yourself a fan of Caitlin Clark or the Indiana Fever. That’s a normal part of sports.

One thing you have to agree with Dawn Montgomery on is that teams like the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty, champions of the last two editions, arguably deserved more than the 33 and 35 nationally televised games they received, respectively.

But as it appears, the WNBA has no time to appeal to any single fanbase here, because when it comes to viewership and revenue, only what works matters. And the records are there to show that Caitlin Clark, and by extension the Indiana Fever, do work. Last season, 2025, regular-season games featuring Clark averaged 1.26 million viewers, a 7% increase over 2024.

That’s roughly 200% higher than the average for games in which she did not play. Also in 2024, her first season in the league, the WNBA saw 23 games draw more than one million viewers. Guess what? Caitlin Clark played in 20 of those 23 games. Before her arrival, the league had not seen a million-viewer game since 2008.

In fact, in that 2024 season, the Indiana Fever set a league record with over 340,000 total home fans, that’s roughly a 300% increase year-over-year. And even when she plays on the road, opposing teams see an average attendance jump of 87% to 105%. The economic contribution that followed was massive as well. Specifically, economists estimated that Caitlin Clark was responsible for approximately 26.5% of the WNBA’s entire economic activity in 2024, including revenue from merchandise, tickets, and television.

In 2024, merchandise sales skyrocketed by 601%, social media views jumped 436.2%, total sellouts rose by 242.2%, and overall attendance increased by 48%. And when it came to valuations, the impact was just as dramatic. The Indiana Fever saw their worth surge by 273% to $335 million, making them the third-most valuable franchise in the league. Only the New York Liberty ($420 million) and the Golden State Valkyries ($500 million) ranked higher.

Overall, the WNBA’s collective valuation climbed to $3.5 billion, with the average franchise now worth $269 million, a massive leap from the $96 million average just a year prior.

The WNBA has simply leaned into this reality for the 2026 season. And it’s hard to argue that this is not a smart choice. And of course, they will be setting a record, making the Indiana Fever the only team to have every one of their games nationally televised. Dawn Montgomery might not be happy with it, but this decision is not about emotions.

And perhaps, she might be a little bit right in saying the Fever haven’t won as much. But then, they haven’t been all that bad as well, especially in the last season. They’ve made the playoffs in the past two seasons and even reached the WNBA playoffs semifinals in 2025. In fact, they won the Commissioner’s Cup as well. So even if the merit system is based on wins, they are not totally disqualified.

But all the same, it’s a numbers game here. The numbers have shown that Caitlin Clark has been the primary catalyst for the league’s historic surge in viewership and attendance. Regardless of what Dawn Montgomery thinks, the numbers don’t lie. But it’s okay if she feels that way, or if she’s not a fan. After all, what is sport without a little bit of rivalry?

Broadcast Backlash Shifts Focus to Ratings, Revenue, and WNBA Growth

With her reaction to the WNBA’s Fever broadcast decision, it’s quite obvious that Dawn Montgomery is not very much of a fan of the Indiana Fever or of Caitlin Clark. While that might be understandable, the manner with which she expressed her sentiment seemed a little too pointed, something many fans interpreted as outright dislike.

“Just say you hate Caitlin at this point,” one fan said, reacting to her comments. “Because that’s exactly what this is. There’s other players on the Fever that you could support & watch too. For you to dislike Caitlin is ridiculous bcuz what has she done to anyone? Yeah, her fanbase is hateful, racist & vile a*s people. But that’s not Caitlin.” Another, in a more sarcastic tone, added, “Hahaha… a Montgomery hating on the Fever, the sky is still blue…”

Some fans were even quite sarcastic about the whole thing. “I’m sure all the Fever ladies wake up every morning and say, ‘Damn, I hope Dawn Montgomery watches my games this season,'” one fan said. “What will the WNBA do without the views of Dawn Montgomery 😱😱😱,” another added.

While the fan sentiment is largely understandable, the WNBA isn’t really going to lose out on anything major with one less viewer, especially given its upward trajectory. Attendance has been on a steady rise, with the league’s 13 teams drawing over 2.5 million fans across 226 games last season, surpassing the previous record set in 2002. But even with that growth, Dawn Montgomery does have a point.

A Sports Business Journal report from July highlighted that even outside Indiana Fever games, viewership was trending upward. Across ESPN networks, the WNBA’s average for non-Fever games was up 22% compared to the same point last season. One standout example came on July 8, when the Las Vegas Aces vs New York Liberty matchup drew 701,000 viewers. Excluding any games involving Caitlin Clark or the Fever, that marked the most-watched regular-season WNBA game on ESPN (cable) since 1999 at that point.

“We love Caitlin Clark, and we think she’s phenomenal and she’s a generational talent, but the growth that’s happening outside of those Fever games is really something that I feel like everyone’s missing the boat on,” said ESPN Research VP Flora Kelly. “Parity is maybe better than it’s been in years. … We’re happy and really talking about the growth of the sport outside of Caitlin Clark. Even nuggets like Chicago being our third most favorited WNBA team from an [app] personalization perspective.”

All of this made one thing clear, the WNBA is much more than just “the Caitlin Clark league.” Fans aren’t tuning in only because of Clark, they’re buying into the product as a whole. Yes, her playing just 13 games last season did impact viewership, but it also showed that interest in the league runs deeper than one star. And at the end of the day, that’s exactly what Dawn Montgomery has been pushing for.

For some fans, however, they believed Dawn Montgomery’s comments, or at least actions and behaviors like hers, could eventually put a dent on the WNBA’s growth as a whole. As one fan said, “This is the negativity that’s driving viewers away. Lean into it and soon all teams will get their dues.” Another fan also said, “Someday, maybe you’ll choose to uplift women in sports. Until then, prayers of healing for the hate in your heart. 🙏”

Quite a number of fans also did well to point out the obvious that “advertisers don’t care about feelings. They’re out to make money. And that’s how businesses succeed.” And of course, that’s how it actually works.

The WNBA league office and its national broadcast partners make their decisions on which matchups to air based on viewership potential. Right now, the numbers point at Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. As some fans pointed out, it’s just quite ironic that an award-winning journalist like Dawn Montgomery wouldn’t understand this.