Caitlin Clark’s arrival in the WNBA has transformed women’s professional basketball into a mainstream entertainment property and valuable business component. After being first pick overall by the Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA Draft, Clark’s professional debut attracted over two million viewers across various platforms, making it the most-watched WNBA contest in over two decades and setting an all-time viewership record for WNBA broadcasts on ESPN, according to a recent report by ESPN.
“Caitlin really made me get into watching basketball to begin with in her college era,” said Cristina Ledford, a junior public health major. “I never really paid attention to the WNBA before Caitlin getting drafted.”
The draft itself drew an unmatched 2.45 million viewers, quadrupling the previous record from 2004 and representing a 328% increase from the previous year, according to the same report by ESPN. Her first ABC appearance in Indiana Fever colors continued this trend with 1.7 million viewers, following with the highest-rated WNBA game in the network’s history.
This rise in popularity has built solid business outcomes across the league. League merchandise sales have soared 236% year-over-year, with Clark’s jersey becoming a top seller. For the first time, three franchises, the Las Vegas Aces, Dallas Wings and Atlanta Dream, announced complete sellouts of their season tickets as fan interest reached uncommon levels.
Clark leads an exceptional rookie class alongside other popular college stars such as Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso of the Chicago Sky and Cameron Brink of the Los Angeles Sparks. Collectively, they are driving unprecedented interest in the league. Clark, Reese and Brink rank among the top five in jersey sales during the season’s first week, reflecting their immediate commercial impact.
Clark’s commercial impact has increased beyond ticket and merchandise sales to profitable endorsement deals, as highlighted by a reported $28 million Nike contract. Having already acquired over $3 million in endorsements during her collegiate career, Clark now ranks among the most commercially valuable female athletes in sports, establishing new standards for sponsorship potential in the WNBA.
The timing of Clark’s arrival has also been advantageous, filling an important vacancy in the sports calendar and transforming women’s basketball into a more valuable revenue and engagement opportunity during a traditionally quieter period for women’s sports entertainment.
Even before Clark’s arrival, the WNBA was experiencing growth, with viewership climbing 21% in 2023 to reach its largest audience in over 20 years and attendance hitting a 13-year high. Clark’s presence has dramatically accelerated this momentum, helping the WNBA establish itself as the superior in the growing women’s sports movement.
During her four years at the University of Iowa, Clark consistently excelled, averaging between 26.6 and 31.6 points per game while maintaining strong shooting percentages. In Feb. 2024, she became the all-time Division I women’s scoring leader and broke Stephen Curry’s NCAA single-season three-pointer record, among other milestones.
“Last year, when Caitlin Clark was at Iowa, that’s when I saw her and who she was because of TikTok,” said Emma Measley, a freshman business major.” Her fans would make TikToks that came up on my feed of all of her 3-pointers and the comments all talked about how good she is.”
Known for her deep shooting range and exceptional passing skills, Clark earned multiple national player of the year awards before ending her college career with a loss to South Carolina in the 2024 national championship game. Her collegiate career equipped her with the technique and experience necessary for her professional journey in the WNBA.
“We’re building something big here,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
With Clark leading the way, the WNBA is continuing to strengthen its position within the sports world, creating new possibilities and setting higher standards for the future of women’s professional basketball.