WNBA Disaster: No Caitlin Clark, No Angel Reese For Fever-Sky Game On ABC

The highly anticipated WNBA matchup between the Indiana Fever (led by Caitlin Clark) and the Chicago Sky (led by Angel Reese) was scheduled for a prime Sunday afternoon slot (3 p.m.) on ABC/ESPN. To accommodate the expected large audience, the Chicago Sky moved the game from their usual 10,000-seat Wintrust Arena to the much larger 23,500-seat United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls.

However, both star players, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, were injured and did not play in the game. Despite not playing, Angel Reese still participated in her customary pre-game "red carpet" stroll. Caitlin Clark, while sidelined, did sign autographs for fans before the game.

Games featuring Clark versus Reese typically draw massive crowds and TV audiences. The absence of the stars, particularly Clark, led to lower attendance and is expected to cause a significant drop in TV ratings compared to their previous matchup. That season-opening game in May set a record as the most-watched WNBA game ever on ESPN, averaging 2.5 million viewers and peaking at 3.1 million, despite being a blowout win for the Fever. The ratings for Sunday's game, expected to be released Tuesday, are predicted to fall well short of this record due to the absence of the marquee players.