Caitlin Clark’s first WNBA regular season is officially in the books, and now the stage is set for her highly anticipated playoff debut. Clark and the Indiana Fever wrapped up the season with a 20-20 record, securing the No. 6 seed in the WNBA playoffs. Their postseason journey will begin with a challenging matchup against the third-seeded Connecticut Sun in the first round of the playoffs.
The best-of-three series kicks off this Sunday at 3 p.m. ET in Connecticut, with Game 1 set to air on ABC. On paper, this looks like a great opportunity for fans to tune in and watch one of the league’s rising stars on a national platform. However, there’s one significant issue raising eyebrows among fans: the timing of the game.
Sunday afternoon is prime time for NFL games, and Caitlin Clark’s playoff debut will directly overlap with the early window of NFL matchups. This scheduling conflict has some fans concerned about how it might impact viewership for what could be a marquee moment in Clark’s burgeoning career.
“Why schedule the game during NFL Sunday?” one fan questioned. “They should’ve put it on later, like 6:30.”
Ryan Glasspiegel from the New York Post echoed that sentiment, tweeting, “The WNBA schedules Caitlin Clark’s first playoff game during the NFL witching hour. Makes no sense.”
Others expressed similar frustration, pointing out the challenge of competing against the NFL juggernaut. “Face of the league going head-to-head with the NFL on ABC,” one commenter noted, alluding to Clark’s growing stardom.
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Still, some fans remain optimistic about the potential ratings, even with the competition. “If the Fever go on a run, it could be ratings gold—similar to Caitlin and Iowa during March Madness. The more they win, the more viewers they’ll draw. First round could get 2 to 3 million, but going against the NFL will be tough,” another fan observed.
Not all were deterred by the scheduling. “I’ll watch Caitlin Clark, even if she’s up against the NFL. I don’t care,” said a passionate supporter, highlighting Clark’s undeniable star power.
Ultimately, the scheduling presents a significant test for what some call the “Caitlin Clark Effect.” With her ability to draw attention during Iowa’s NCAA Tournament run earlier this year, it will be interesting to see if Clark can still command a strong audience despite facing the NFL in the same time slot.
The true measure of her impact will come down to the ratings numbers on Monday morning.
