INDIANAPOLIS, IN - AUGUST 18: Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) drives past the Seattle Storm defenders and goes up with her layup for two in the second quarter of play during a WNBA game between the Seattle Storm and the Indiana Fever on August 18, 2024 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Indiana Fever’s 92-75 win over the Seattle Storm was the most-watched WNBA game ever on ABC.

ESPN announced the event drew an average of 2.2 million viewers and peaked at 2.9 million.

The network also said its WNBA broadcasts have averaged 1.3 million viewers across its networks, which is a 186 percent increase from last season.

Last week saw the WNBA resume its 2024 season following the Summer Olympics in Paris. If anything, the monthlong pause helped to build some excitement for the league’s return, and it helped that the United States won an eighth straight gold medal with a team built around the WNBA’s best players.

Clark’s omission from Team USA was considered by some to be a major snub, but the early returns point to her and the Fever benefiting more from her sitting out the Summer Games.

The No. 1 overall pick dropped 29 points, 10 rebounds and five assists as Indiana beat the Phoenix Mercury 98-89 last Friday. She nearly had another double-double (23 points and nine assists) as the Fever’s other stars stepped up against Seattle. Kelsey Mitchell scored 27 points and Aliyah Boston filled out the box score with nine points, 15 boards and eight assists.

At 13-15, the Fever are five games behind the Las Vegas Aces for fourth place, which would mean hosting a first-round playoff series. Even getting to this point is a major improvement over a 1-8 start to the year.

Assuming Indiana secures a postseason berth, it will be another ratings bonanza for the WNBA.