Lynx star Napheesa Collier shares candid opinion on Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever’s TV schedule

The WNBA league recently announced that Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever will break a record with 41 nationally televised games (out of 44) in the upcoming 2025 season. The decision sparked some debate among fans, as recent champions such as New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces will have fewer televised matches.

The Liberty finished the regular season with the best record in the Eastern Conference at 32-8 and went on to defeat the Minnesota Lynx in a five-game series to claim their first WNBA title. For the upcoming season, New York will have 32 games broadcast on television.

“People want to watch Caitlin play,” Collier told ESPN, while appearing on First Take. “You have to put the people on TV that people want to see but at the same time, there are stars all over the league and you want good basketball as well.”

“They will be a good team, but to not have the defending champions on TV more, I think, is crazy,” Collier, who co-founded the Unrivaled league, said. “You don’t have to take games away from Indiana, but you can raise the level of TV games for other teams as well.” In that sense, the Lynx will have 21 nationally televised games this season.

Caitlin Clark’s effect: Bigger arenas for the Indiana Fever

The TV schedule is not the only thing that has changed due to Clark. Many teams moved their matchups against the Fever to larger arenas. One is the Atlanta Dream, who will host the Fever on May 22 at State Farm Arena, increasing capacity from 5,000 to over 17,000 spectators.

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Similarly, the Chicago Sky‘s games on June 7 and July 27 have been moved from Wintrust Arena to the United Center, expanding seating from 10,000 to 20,923. The Las Vegas Aces are also shifting their game on June 22 to T-Mobile Arena, enhancing capacity from 10,399 to over 20,300.

The season officially starts in May and the Fever will open the 2025 season at home against Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky on Saturday, May 17 at 3 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN+ and Disney+.