During her time with the Iowa Hawkeyes, superstar Caitlin Clark led to a massive surge in attention for women’s college basketball, drawing massive crowds and huge television ratings. And it sounds like the effects of her popularity are already being felt in the WNBA before she’s even been officially drafted.
According to a report from Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun-Times, Caitlin Clark has already forced at least one team to change home arenas to accommodate for the crowd that she is expected to draw during her game later this year.
“Beyond the jump in ticket prices for games against the Fever, some teams have opted for bigger venues. The Aces moved their July 2 game against Clark and the Fever to T-Mobile Arena, which can accommodate nearly 20,000 fans. The Aces usually play at Michelob Ultra Arena, which seats 12,000,”
Clark is widely expected to be selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever. As a result, she has led to a surge in ticket demand for Fever season tickets and early-season games.
Needless to say, it’s pretty clear that Clark is going to cause a surge in popularity for the WNBA in a similar way that she impacted college basketball.