The WNBA witnessed a seismic shift in 2024, largely thanks to the arrival of Caitlin Clark. Despite being excluded from the Women's Olympic team and the WNBA All-Star skills competition, Clark's influence on the league's financial landscape and viewership has been undeniable.
Ryan Brewer, a finance professor at Indiana University specializing in valuation, estimated that Clark single-handedly drove a remarkable 26.5% of the WNBA's total activity for the 2024 season. This includes ticket sales, merchandise purchases, and television viewership. Brewer's assessment even suggests that nearly one out of every six tickets sold at WNBA games can be attributed to Clark's presence.
This starkly contrasts with Clark's comparatively modest WNBA salary of $76,535 for the past season, set to rise to just $78,066 in 2025. The financial benefits extend beyond the league itself, with Brewer estimating Clark's contribution to the Indianapolis economy at over $36 million annually.
Lexie Hull and Caitlin Clark on the Indiana Fever bench during the 2024 WNBA Playoffs. (Mark Smith-Imagn Images)
Brewer described the figures as "staggering" and almost "unreal" in an interview. The impact of Clark's presence, especially during the playoffs, is evident in the viewership numbers.
Clark's first playoff game against the Connecticut Sun drew a record-breaking 1.84 million viewers, even competing with NFL Sunday games. Game 2 then shattered that record with a staggering 2.54 million viewers. However, the Indiana Fever lost both games, leading to their elimination.
Caitlin Clark driving to the basket during a playoff game against the Connecticut Sun. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
Following the Fever's exit, viewership dropped significantly. The subsequent game between the Aces and Liberty, a rematch of the previous year's finals, attracted only 929,000 viewers, a stark 50% decline compared to Clark's first playoff game. The Sun-Lynx series fared even worse, drawing approximately 650,000 viewers.
Even Clark's regular season games outperformed these playoff matches in terms of viewership. A September game against the Minnesota Lynx, coinciding with a Week 1 NFL Friday night game, still garnered 1.26 million viewers. Her final regular season game against the Washington Mystics set a new attendance record with 20,711 fans at Capital One Arena.
Caitlin Clark driving against the Dallas Wings. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Clark's teammates have also acknowledged her influence. Kelsey Mitchell credited Clark for the increased attention and fan base, while Erica Wheeler emphasized the need for the team to develop resilience against external scrutiny due to Clark's high profile.
Clark's rookie season established the Fever as the most-watched team in the WNBA, with the 14 most-viewed games all featuring the team. This demonstrates the substantial impact of her presence on the league's viewership and overall popularity.
