Caitlin Clark Pushed For Bonuses For Opposing WNBA Players

The season is over for Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever after their playoff loss to the Connecticut Sun, but that doesn’t mean that her rookie campaign was a failure. Clark had one of the best first seasons in WNBA history in 2024 statistically, leading the entire league in both assists and three-pointers made on her way to earning Rookie of the Year honors.

But as impactful as she was on the court, her influence on the growth and popularity of the league was where Clark made her biggest mark.

Caitlin Clark Asked For Bonuses For Opposing Players

Caitlin Clark asked the WNBA to pay other players bonuses so that they could share in the success of the Fever selling out arenas.

The WNBA said no (because of the CBA), but that’s a super nice gesture, especially because she never discussed it publicly.pic.twitter.com/SZ15aeArWF

— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) September 29, 2024

Viewership skyrocketed during the 2024 season, especially when it came to Clark and the Fever. Indiana games sold out quickly, and her impact at the box office during road games was obvious. Teams that struggled to fill seats saw an increase in demand for tickets, and some of them moved Clark’s games to larger arenas to meet the capacity needs.

According to the President and COO of the Indiana Fever Allison Barber, Caitlin Clark did her best to secure monetary bonuses for her opponents due to her financial impact.

In a recent interview, Barber highlighted Clark’s efforts:

After a few away games, and all of the sellouts, Caitlin asked the WNBA if they would pay spot bonuses to the away team players. She said ‘We’re making all this new revenue, and I would like the away team to benefit from that. Can they get a spot bonus?’

Barber added that the WNBA did not accommodate the request, due to collective bargaining agreements and the Players Association.

Clark’s Impact Has Been Felt Since Day 1

Clark’s impact was felt from Day 1. Early in the season, road opponents were seeing an increase of up to 241% in their ticket prices, which was a trend that continued throughout the season.

Had the Fever been able to survive during the first round of the playoffs and advance to the next round, playoff tickets to see Clark play were projected to skyrocket once again.