Getty Caitlin Clark is set to enter the WNBA
Last season, the Indiana Fever were the second-worst team in the WNBA when it came to bringing in fans to Gainbridge Fieldhouse, at 4,067 fans, ahead only of the Atlanta Dream and about 40% worse than the average attendance in the league, which came in at a record 6,615 fans per game. Caitlin Clark is not yet with the team but, already, she is changing that.
According to ESPN, the Fever have seen a “spike” in ticket sales, though the team would not give out any specifics on numbers. But Indiana has been holding a special “presale” of tickets, with two games at a time available, before general tickets go on sale next week.
The Fever are unable to be too specific about the impact of Caitlin Clark because, after all, the is not on the team yet. In explaining the current ticket sales set-up, the team would only reference “excitement” around the draft.
“There is a great deal of excitement around the team, both because of the incredible talent we have brought in the last few years and the energy around this year’s draft, and we are thrilled to give our fans this early opportunity to support the Fever,” said Fever president Dr. Allison Barber in a statement.
Caitlin Clark Driving Demand
The secondary market for Indiana Fever tickets has also seen an explosion in demand. ESPN referenced Seat Geek, which reported a spike of 136% in resale values of Indiana tickets for next season.
“This is definitely the most significant example I can think of on the women’s side,” Chris Leyden, director of growth marketing at SeatGeek, told ESPN.
“Three things drive demand for tickets,” he added. “It’s one, how popular the team is overall … Two, it’s how good the team is. Winning teams always drive up demand. Three, to me, is the star player factor. And this just absolutely checks the box.”
Clark announced her plans to leave Iowa and enter the WNBA draft at the end of February after a stellar career that ended with her averaging 31.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 8.9 assists in her fourth season. Clark set an NCAA record for points scored among men’s and women’s players.
Led by Clark, Iowa reached the NCAA finals for the second straight year, but lost to South Carolina last week.
WNBA Draft Slated for Monday
Even back in March, interest in WNBA tickets saw a jump as soon as Clark acknowledged she would be turning pro.
“It’s Clarkonomics,” basketball analyst Deb Antonelli told the AP at that time. “Her ability to move the meter and the excitement around her is incredible. The socially acceptable thing to do is to watch Caitlin Clark play basketball.”
The WNBA draft will take place on Monday at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Clark is among the 15 players who will be in attendance at the WNBA draft, which will be televised on ESPN. Also among the invited guests are one of Clark’s top rivals, LSU forward Angel Reese and South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso.
Stanford’s Cameron Brink is widely expected to be the No. 2 pick in the draft, going to the Los Angeles Sparks.
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