The air felt different in Connecticut the night the Indiana Fever’s season ended. You could literally hear it. Or maybe it was what you couldn't hear—the deafening, high-pitched roar that follows Caitlin Clark everywhere. When the Sun finished that sweep, a lot of people—mostly the "I only watch for CC" crowd—started predicting a total ghost town for the rest of the postseason. They thought once the Fever were out, the seats would stay empty.
Honestly? They were wrong. But they were also kinda right. It’s complicated.
Basically, the WNBA playoff attendance after Fever eliminated didn't fall off a cliff, but it definitely changed flavors. We went from "spectacle" energy back to "hardcore hoops" energy. While the Fever were pulling in record-shattering numbers like 17,036 fans per home game during the regular season, the rest of the league had to figure out how to keep the lights bright without that specific spotlight.
The Fever Vacuum and the Reality of the Turnstiles
Let’s be real about the numbers. The Indiana Fever didn't just lead the league in attendance; they lapped it. They finished 2024 with a total home attendance of 340,715 fans. That’s a single-season record that makes previous years look like high school gym numbers. For context, they drew about 17,000 people a night. The next closest team, the New York Liberty, was averaging around 12,729.
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So, when the Fever got bounced in the first round by the Sun, a massive chunk of the casual audience checked out. You saw it in the secondary ticket market immediately. Prices that were sitting at $130 just for a "cheap seat" in the Fever-Sun series plummeted for the semifinals. You could suddenly grab a ticket to see the Aces or Liberty for $30 or $40.
But here is the thing: the arenas weren't empty.
Actually, the semifinals averaged 850,000 viewers on ESPN—up 99% from the year before. And the physical attendance? The New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx were still packing their barns. During the Finals, Barclays Center was hitting record highs, with Game 5 seeing 18,090 fans. That’s a sellout. The Lynx also set a franchise record with 19,521 fans at Target Center.
Why WNBA Playoff Attendance After Fever Eliminated Still Broke Records
It’s easy to look at the "Caitlin Clark effect" and assume she’s the only reason anyone cares. That’s a lazy take. While she brought the "new" money and the "new" eyes, the WNBA playoff attendance after Fever eliminated stayed strong because of two factors:
- Legacy rivalries: The Liberty vs. Aces matchup was the heavyweight fight everyone wanted. It didn't need a rookie to sell it.
- Market depth: Cities like Minneapolis and New York have deep, established fan bases that show up regardless of who the "it" girl of the moment is.
The total attendance for the 2024 season hit 2,353,735. That is a 48% jump from 2023. Even without the Fever in the later rounds, the "floor" of the league has been raised. You aren't seeing games in front of 3,000 people anymore. The standard is now a packed lower bowl, even in the "quieter" markets.
The Viewership vs. Attendance Split
There is a weird gap between people watching on TV and people actually buying tickets. When the Fever were eliminated, the TV ratings took a bigger hit than the gate receipts. ESPN saw a drop after the first round—which makes sense, because millions of people were tuning in specifically to see if Clark would hit a logo three.
But the people who actually go to games? They are often local. If you live in Brooklyn, you aren't going to the game to see Caitlin Clark; you're going to see Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu win a ring. That’s why the WNBA playoff attendance after Fever eliminated didn't collapse. The local demand in New York and Minnesota was high enough to compensate for the loss of the "touring" Fever fans.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Post-Fever Slump
A lot of the "WNBA is dying without Clark" tweets you see are based on vibes, not data. Yes, the Fever-Sun Game 2 had 2.54 million viewers—a number no other playoff game matched. But the semifinals still doubled the previous year’s numbers.
The misconception is that the Fever were the league. In reality, the Fever were the gateway drug. A lot of people who came for Clark ended up staying because they realized A'ja Wilson is a basketball god and the Lynx run a motion offense that’s beautiful to watch.
The attendance numbers prove that the league has successfully converted a portion of the "Clark-only" fans into "WNBA" fans. If the attendance had dropped back to 2023 levels (around 6,600 per game), then the league would be in trouble. Instead, the Finals averaged 18,518 fans per game. That is massive.
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Actionable Insights for Fans and Investors
If you're looking at the business side of this, or just trying to snag tickets for next year, keep these things in mind:
- Buy early for non-Fever games too: The "sellout culture" has spread. Don't assume you can walk up to the box office in New York or Vegas anymore.
- Watch the expansion effect: With Portland and Toronto coming in 2026, the league is banking on these attendance trends holding. The data suggests they will.
- Secondary markets are your friend post-elimination: If a "superstar" team gets knocked out early, that is your window to see high-level playoff basketball for a fraction of the price. The quality of play doesn't drop just because the hype does.
The WNBA is no longer a league that survives on a single narrative. The 2024 playoffs proved that while the Fever are the biggest engine, the rest of the cars are finally moving fast enough to keep the train on the tracks.
Next time someone tells you the league is "over" because a certain rookie isn't playing, just show them the box score from Game 5 of the Finals. 18,000 people screaming in Brooklyn says otherwise.