There has been a lot of talk about WNBA viewership now that Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever are no longer in the playoffs.
Simply put, viewership has dropped significantly since Clark played her last game this season. At the same time, however, WNBA viewership in general has seen a sharp rise compared to previous years. A testament to this fact is how Game 1 of the Finals between the Minnesota Lynx and the New York Liberty amassed a record 1.1 million viewers — the most in WNBA Finals history.
More than a few folks out there are adamant that the league continues to feel the Caitlin Clark effect despite her early exit in the playoffs. One of those believers is WNBA legend Sue Bird.
“Viewership numbers with Caitlin Clark are astronomical,” Bird said in a recent episode of her “A Touch More” podcast with USA soccer icon Megan Rapinoe, via Grant Young of Women’s Fastbreak. “She is a big draw, she brings in all the things.
“And yes, the games where she’s not playing have lower viewership… But in the WNBA [Semifinals]… where Caitlin obviously is not in it cause her team lost, are still breaking records from previous WNBA years.”
Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever
© Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Bird then set her sights on ESPN broadcasters Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe as she accused them of “hating” on this issue.
“So these numbers are still really high, and they’re still really meaningful,” Bird continued. “And yet some people continue to flip that… I’ve seen Stephen A. Smith talk about it, I’ve seen Shannon Sharpe talk about it. And what I don’t understand is, they work for ESPN. So why are you hating on a [business] ESPN is in?”
You just know that the outspoken Stephen A. was not going to take this accusation lightly, especially considering how Bird specifically called him out by name.
True enough, Smith fired back at the four-time WNBA champion during Saturday’s episode of “The Stephen A. Smith Show.”
“To be quite honest with you, I’m disgusted,” Smith stated. “I’m disgusted with Sue Bird, okay?… I love her, but I don’t appreciate this article that I read, okay? When it came to her talking about yours truly. Because, far be it, these are the headlines, y’all: ‘Sue Bird Calls Out ESPN Hosts For ‘Hating On’ WNBA Playoff Ratings After Caitlin Clark’s Exit.’
“Why? Why, y’all? Really? This is where we have to go?”
Smith did his best to be as respectful as he can. The ESPN sportscaster, however, could not help but call out the 13-time All-Star for being “inaccurate.”
“The story is the story, Sue Bird!” Smith exclaimed. “What was Stephen A. Smith and Shannon guilty of exactly?… We were saying, do y’all see these numbers?
“… What Shannon and I were saying is that now enough folks were appreciating it, and riding the tide.”
What you can say for sure is that Stephen A. Smith does not appreciate being called out publicly, and he’s not going to hold back about making his feelings known — regardless of who’s on the opposite side of his tirade.
