When 21 of 22 games with an average of over a million viewers belonged to the Indiana Fever, it wouldn’t take a pundit to bet on a drop in Caitlin Clark’s absence. A 53% dip in the television ratings following her quad sprain strengthens that case. But when the young guard said 2024 was only scratching the surface, she wasn’t taking a shot in the dark. The All-Star games proved it, and now, one of the most anticipated games is proving it.

With the reigning ROTY having missed about 13 games so far, the Stephanie White side has learnt to adjust without their star player. Sophie Cunningham, for one, admitted, “I really do think that, you know, if we have Caitlin, great, and we know how to play with her. If we don’t have Caitlin, great. We know how to play without her, and I think that’s just so important.” They proved it with their win over the Aces and then again with the domination against the Sky. But looks like it wasn’t just the players getting used to the absence, the audience did too.

The Fever faced the Chicago Sky in yet another highly anticipated game on Sunday night. But this one was without the two star players on either of the teams. While Clark was sidelined due to her groin injury, a back issue kept Angel Reese out. Regardless, the fans showed up.

The official ESPN PR account took to X and shared, “This past Sunday, ABC aired another of its most-watched WNBA games EVER with the Indiana Fever’s win over Chicago Sky. 1.5M avg. viewers (1.7M peak). WNBA on ESPN up 6% from last season.”

Well, that seems to have been the case this season.

When Caitlin Clark announced she would be missing the All-Star weekend due to her right groin injury, there was an air of caution regarding the turnout. But it just happened to give a good look at the league’s growth. Not only were the city’s streets bustling with enthusiasm, but 2.2 million people tuned in for the game. Moreover, the 3-point contest and skills challenge the night before averaged 1.3 million–  up 89% from last year.

Ben Pickman, the co-host of ‘No Off-season’ podcast, who was on ground for the weekend, could feel the atmosphere first hand– the realization of college basketball following finally transcending to the pro league. “The energy was awesome. And you know, you felt it when you watched WNBA live… it seemed like the people were waiting 30 minutes or more to meet their favorite players,” he revealed, reminiscing back to the Final Four.

Is this the after-effect of Clark’s absence? Or just another Caitlin Clark Effect? Either way, it is a step forward that the league needs. So Clark’s absence isn’t proving all that discouraging, more so for the Fever.

Caitlin Clark’s teammate outshone on the hardwood

With Caitlin Clark sidelined for the third time in a row owing to a right groin injury, the Indiana Fever’s top scorer and 3x All-Star, Kelsey Mitchell entered the arena against the Sky and saved the day. The first few minutes proved just enough for the 8-year veteran.

With 13 points in the first half alone, Mitchell became the first Indiana Fever player to cross 400+ point-mark across all games against the Chicago Sky. Her latest output brings her total to 402 points scored against the Sky across 16 games, averaging just under 30 minutes per outing.

Having said that, her seven 3-pointers and a total of 35 points bolstered the team towards a sure-shot 93-78 victory. On the other hand, Aliyah Boston contributed 14 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists as Aari McDonald added 10 points to the roster. Moreover, Makayla Timpson jumped off the bench and made an impressive career-high of 14 points.

While the team looks promising on paper and a defiant force in the paint, can they surpass Atlanta Dream and New York Liberty in the Eastern Conference standings? With a 14-12 stat score so far, things look positive for the locker room. And once Clark joins the brigade once again, the Indiana Fever might just become unstoppable.