WNBA
WNBA Attendance Is 105% Higher When Caitlin Clark Plays
Updated11 Jun 2024
Sportscasting.com has gathered and analyzed the data to examine Caitlin Clark’s effect on WNBA attendance.
Key Highlights:
- Caitlin Clark has caused attendance figures to jump 87% compared to opponent’s average home attendance
- Clark has accounted for 33.5% of the total WNBA attendance in 2024
- When Clark plays, WNBA games average 15,591 fans in attendance (+105%) compared to 7,645 fans when she is not in action
- Indiana Fever average 36% more fans on the road (15,142) than any other WNBA team
Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever are just 13 games into the WNBA season
Despite getting snubbed from the Team USA Women’s Basketball roster, Clark has had an undeniable effect on ticket prices, viewership, and attendance.
During the first month of the WNBA season, fans hoping to watch Clark in action could expect to pay 241% more per ticket on average compared to their favorite team’s next home game.
Yet, that hasn’t stopped WNBA attendance from skyrocketing in 2024.
According to the WNBA, attendance is up 156% compared to last year and arenas are being filled to 94% capacity. Over 600,000 fans have attended WNBA games in 2024 and viewership for nationally televised games is up 185%.
Let’s dive into the data to see how much of the attendance spike is due to Clark’s presence on the court.
Caitlin Clark causes WNBA attendance to jump 87% on average
The Fever have played six different teams on the road through the first month of the regular season.
Clark has helped five of those opponents set a season-high in attendance.
The Washington Mystics set the benchmark with 20,300 fans in attendance to see Clark and the Fever in action, making it the most attended WNBA game in the past 17 years. Meanwhile, the NY Liberty generated more than $2 million in gate revenue when Clark visited Madison Square Garden on May 18th, setting the WNBA record for ticket revenue from a single game.
The Las Vegas Aces are the only team that didn’t set their season-high in attendance with Clark in town but the defending champs have operated at max capacity for nearly every home game.
| Home Attendance vs. Fever | Average Attendance
(All Other Home Games) |
% Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York Liberty | 17,401 | 10,593.40 | 64.26% |
| Seattle Storm | 18,343 | 8,495.67 | 115.91% |
| Las Vegas Aces | 10,399 | 10,364.75 | 0.33% |
| Los Angeles Sparks | 19,103 | 8,323.50 | 129.51% |
| Washington Mystics | 20,333 | 5,650.00 | 259.88% |
| Connecticut Sun | 8,910* | 6,901.50 | 29.10% |
| Total | 121,134 | 50,328.82 | 87.74% |
To view Clark’s effect on the WNBA’s attendance, we’ve compared the number of fans attending against the Fever compared to the average attendance for all other home games when the Indiana star is not in action.
Overall, Fever opponents saw attendance numbers rise by an average of 87.7% compared to when Clark isn’t on the floor. The 0-12 Washington Mystics saw the biggest jump in attendance at nearly 260% while two other teams (L.A. Sparks & Seattle Storm) more than doubled their average attendance figures with Clark in town.
When removing the Aces from the equation, Clark’s effect grew even bigger to a whopping 137% compared to when she’s not in action.
Clark’s WNBA games average 15,591 fans in attendance (+105%) compared to 7,645 fans when she is not in action
| WNBA Attendance | # of Games | Average Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caitlin Clark Games | 203,991 | 13 | 15,691.6 |
| All Other WNBA Games | 405,203 | 53 | 7,645.3 |
In just 13 games, Clark and the Fever have accounted for 33.5% of the WNBA’s total attendance. About 609,194 fans have attended a WNBA game this season, and according to the league, attendance numbers are higher than they’ve been at this juncture in 26 years.
About 203,991 fans have come to watch Clark during her rookie season, meaning that the Fever star has actually driven about ⅓ of the total WNBA attendance in 2024.
The average attendance for a game that features Clark is about 15,691 fans. That number is more than 105% higher than the average attendance (7,645) when she isn’t in action.
Indiana Fever average 36% more fans on the road (15,142) than any other WNBA team
| Team | # of Away Games | Average Attendance |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana Fever | 8 | 15,142 |
| Los Angeles Sparks | 4 | 11,104.25 |
| Chicago Sky | 5 | 10,365 |
| Connecticut Sun | 3 | 9,854.67 |
| Seattle Storm | 7 | 8,731.29 |
| Phoenix Mercury | 7 | 8,171.43 |
| New York Liberty | 6 | 8,154.33 |
| Las Vegas Aces | 4 | 7,893.75 |
| Washington Mystics | 7 | 7,788.86 |
| Dallas Wings | 6 | 7,788.17 |
| Minnesota Lynx | 5 | 7,016.20 |
| Atlanta Dream | 4 | 6,775.50 |
The Fever lead the WNBA in average attendance at home (16,571) and on the road (15,142). Indiana draws about 36% more fans on the road compared to the next-highest team.
However, Clark isn’t the only rookie driving the league’s increased popularity.
No. 2 overall pick Cameron Brink and the L.A. Sparks are next on the list, drawing an average of 11,104 fans on the road. Meanwhile, fellow rookie Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky are third on the list with an average of 10,365 fans in attendance on the road.
