ESPN Announces Unexpected News After Chicago Sky’s Loss to Indiana Fever originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Chicago Sky suffered another tough loss on Sunday, falling 93-78 to the Indiana Fever. Both teams were missing two of their stars—Angel Reese was ruled out with a lingering back injury, while Caitlin Clark sat due to a groin issue. The defeat marked Chicago’s fifth straight loss, deepening concerns about the team’s trajectory.
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In the past one year, Sky-Fever games have become must-see TV since both Reese and Clark entered the league. Largely due to their college rivalry, the two stars have continued to draw national attention when their teams face each other. But with both players missing Sunday’s game, it was expected that there would be a decline in viewership.
Former LSU Lady Tigers forward Angel Reese (10) and former Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark (22)© Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
In a surprising development, ESPN announced that Sunday’s game drew an average of 1.5 million viewers on ABC, peaking at 1.7 million. Despite both Clark and Reese being sidelined, the matchup ranks among the network’s most-watched WNBA broadcasts ever.
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The network also noted that WNBA viewership across its platforms is up 6% from last season.
In comparison, the Sky’s 93-58 blowout loss to the Fever in May averaged 2.7 million viewers on ABC, peaking at 3.1 million—making it the highest-rated WNBA regular-season game in 25 years. The latest ratings highlight how much attention the duo has brought to the league, even when not on the floor. A sellout crowd packed the United Center, and fans tuned in to the matchup as if both stars were playing.
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With Chicago now sitting at 7-18, the team will return to action on Tuesday to face the Washington Mystics. Indiana, on the other hand, are 14-12 this season and will resume play on Wednesday against the Phoenix Mercury.
Related: Chicago Sky Announce Exciting Angel Reese News After Loss to Indiana Fever
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
