As the WNBA gears up for its upcoming season starting on Tuesday, all eyes are on a star-studded draft class led by record-breaker Caitlin Clark, signaling a seismic shift in the league’s popularity and interest.
The league has witnessed surging ticket sales, prompting teams to relocate games to larger venues, and recently introduced a charter flight program for players, injecting a substantial $50 million investment over the next two years into this policy.
Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve expressed the sentiment of radical change within the WNBA, noting, “It’s not business as usual anymore. And this has been brewing for a while. We’ve been on a wave. But this is like, you know, a bit more of a tsunami.”
Caitlin Clark, alongside a charismatic cohort of fellow rookies such as Angel Reese (Chicago Sky) and Cameron Brink (Los Angeles Sparks), has garnered significant attention and credit for this wave of enthusiasm. Clark’s selection as the first overall pick by the Indiana Fever in the WNBA draft drew a record 2.45 million viewers, following her impressive collegiate career where she shattered scoring records at Iowa.
Her college finale against South Carolina became the most-watched basketball game in the U.S. since 2019, and Clark emerged as Fanatics’ best-selling draft pick in company history, attracting major brand partnerships due to her standout talent.
Reflecting on Clark’s performance, Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo commented, “Nobody’s been under a stronger spotlight, a bigger microscope in the women’s game, probably in the history of the game, than Caitlin Clark was. And she continually lived up to the moment.”
The league’s accelerated growth comes as no surprise to veteran players like MVP Breanna Stewart, who noted the long-awaited tipping point and movement within women’s basketball.
Teams like the Las Vegas Aces, fresh off their championship win and immense popularity, are moving games to larger venues to accommodate the increased demand. The Los Angeles Sparks have similarly adjusted their schedule to capitalize on the unprecedented viewership and attendance surge.
With WNBA ticket sales nearly doubling from last season and teams like the Indiana Fever dominating the resale platform, the league is poised for a transformative season, with Clark and her rookie counterparts at the forefront of this exhilarating wave of interest.
As Clark and the Indiana Fever kick off their season against the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday, the league anticipates an electrifying start to what promises to be a groundbreaking season of women’s basketball.
