The rise in popularity of women’s basketball has been coming for years, but the emergence of multiple popular rookies in the WNBA has sent it over the edge. While there are a few players who have contributed to this rise, Indiana Fever star guard Caitlin Clark has been at the top of the popularity.
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Clark has taken the league by storm, winning the Rookie of the Year honor last season. But she isn’t just helping the WNBA on the court, but also in the league’s pockets.
Ryan Brewer, an associate professor of finance at Indiana University Columbus and an expert in valuations, spoke with NBC News on the impact of Clark. According to Brewer, the league could see a growth of potentially a billion dollars based on the impact of Clark alone.
“If things just go as they were, and we have an expanded season of 22 home games with modest inflation, I’m looking at $875 [million],” Brewer told NBC News. “And I could easily see that eclipsing a billion dollars on the economic impact of Caitlin Clark this year.”
All 10 of the WNBA’s best-selling games on StubHub included the Fever. Even when Indiana goes on the road, the average price of ticket sales jumps up 140 percent, according to a spokesperson for the online ticket retailer.
The footprint of the league has continued to grow over the years, and they are rising even more down the line. The WNBA is about to enter an 11-year media-rights deal in 2026, which should help the revenue grow even more.
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Clark and the Fever will likely be centered in this, and the league should be able to benefit even more. With Indiana being a good team as well, this helps the WNBA, also.
If Clark continues her rise to superstardom, the league will be in great hands. Through three games this season, Clark has averaged 19.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 9.0 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.
Clark is the driving interest of the WNBA right now, and it seems that she will remain so for the foreseeable future.
More WNBA news:
Caitlin Clark’s Reaction to Opponent in Fever-Dream Has Caught Attention
Caitlin Clark Shares Epic Reaction to Jaw-Dropping Pacers-Knicks Finish
Fever Star Caitlin Clark Fires Off Strong Message at WNBA Officials
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