Caitlin Clark. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

The WNBA has quickly ensured that Caitlin Clark will be showcased aplenty once she turns professional next week.

Caitlin Clark will be going first overall to the Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA Draft, which takes place on Apr. 15 next Monday. With the Iowa legend about to join Indiana, the Fever are about to receive plenty of national exposure.

On Wednesday, the WNBA announced that the Fever will have 36 of their 40 games nationally televised this season, with 13 of them alone being played on NBA TV:

“The WNBA announced today the Indiana Fever will play 36 of 40 regular season games on national television during the 25th regular season in franchise history.

The first four games of the Fever regular season schedule will appear on ABC, ESPN or Prime Video platforms. Throughout the regular season, Indiana will play two games on ABC, five games on ESPN, one game on ESPN 2, two games on CBS, one game on CBS Sports Network, eight games on ION, four games on Prime Video and 13 games on NBA TV.”

Clark’s name wasn’t mentioned in the announcement, but it’s obvious that her looming arrival is why the WNBA wishes to give the Fever as much national television time as possible.

The Iowa-South Carolina national championship game on Monday drew the highest viewership ever for a women’s college basketball game. That contest drew an average of 18.7 million viewers, with a peak of 24 million viewers.

So yes, Clark’s pending move to the WNBA will soon lead to a historic jump in television ratings and global following.

In her final season of college basketball, Clark averaged 31.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game while shooting an impressive 45.5 percent from the field. Clark led the Hawkeyes to a second straight national championship game appearance, where they fell to South Carolina 87-75.

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Caitlin Clark Will Be A Franchise Changer For The Fever

The Fever finished 13-27 last season, missing out on the playoffs for the seventh straight year. In five of those seasons, the Fever have finished with single-digit victories.

But with Clark on the way, the Fever can expect to make an immediate jump to postseason contention. The NCAA basketball all-time leading scorer is a generational talent who will single-handedly take over games while making her teammates that much better.

Indiana will open their season against Connecticut on May 14, with ESPN airing that game. The Fever will welcome New York in their home opener on May 16.