WNBA prepares for the Caitlin Clark Effect

Caitlin Clark had a lofty ambition when she started playing basketball in elementary school: “Be in the WNBA.” 

That little Iowa girl’s dream is about to become a reality: The NCAA’s all-time scoring leader is a lock to be taken No. 1 by the Indiana Fever in Monday’s WNBA draft.

Clark, who shattered scoring records and sold out stadiums during her record-breaking collegiate career at Iowa, will enter the professional ranks of her sport with a level of buzz and anticipation not seen since high-school phenom LeBron James joined the NBA.

Already, WNBA teams are preparing for the arrival of a player many predict will elevate the league to unprecedented heights. After all, her last college game drew more viewers than the World Series.

When Clark and her likely new Fever teammates travel to Las Vegas this summer for an early season matchup with the reigning WNBA champion Aces, the teams will play in the 20,000-seat T-Mobile Arena. The Aces moved the game against the Fever from their usual home at the 12,000-seat Michelob ULTRA Arena to accommodate Clark’s legions of fans.

Clark’s collegiate track record says teams need all the room they can get.

On the road or at home, Clark was a huge draw with the Hawkeyes over the past season — selling out 30 of 32 games — as she chased the all-time scoring record.

Fans flocked to see Clark and her Iowa teammates even when the baskets didn’t count. The Hawkeyes took over the football team’s Kinnick Stadium for a preseason exhibition and drew 55,646 fans, a record for women’s basketball. Iowa’s final practice before the NCAA championship sold out with 17,000 in attendance.

The Fever, who play in the 18,000-seat Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, could use a touch of the “Caitlin Clark Effect.” 

“The Fever were second-to-last in attendance [last year], so watch out. They’re going to be getting lots of attendance at home, but think about when they go away,” said Lisa Delpy Neirotti, a sports marketing professor at George Washington University in the nation’s capital. “She’s going to make a significant impact on attendance.

“You’re going to see records breaking in the WNBA,” Ms. Delpy Neirotti said. “Their broadcast rates increased 21% last year. I would say we can expect probably another 40% increase, at least in the games that Caitlin plays. People are going to come out to see this phenom.”

Numbers add up

Clark’s stunning impact on the women’s game has been well-documented. 

Sunday’s NCAA Women’s Tournament championship, featuring Clark and Iowa against undefeated South Carolina, drew 18.7 million viewers, making it the most-watched basketball game since 2019. Not the most-watched women’s basketball game — the most-watched basketball game on any level in five years, outperforming every NBA Finals game since 2019. 

The interest in the sharpshooting guard made Clark one of the most marketable players in college sports. 

According to On3, a company that tracks athlete brand deals, Clark already has earned more than $3 million from commercial partnerships. 

When her No. 22 Iowa jersey hit digital retail shelves in February, it quickly became the best-selling college jersey online — male or female, according to sports retailer Fanatics. 

More deals and viewers have also led to unprecedented opportunities for Clark. 

In March, the BIG3 league offered the All-American $5 million to play against men this summer. The 3-on-3 league features an array of former NBA stars, though Clark would be the BIG3’s first female player.

“Caitlin Clark can make history and break down even more barriers for women athletes,” Ice Cube, founder of the BIG3, wrote on social media. 

There is no one in the current sports landscape quite like Clark, as evidenced by the BIG3’s offer. 

Legendary comparisons

In conversations with The Washington Times, experts drew parallels between the two-time AP Player of the Year and tennis legend Billie Jean King.

When King played former men’s Wimbledon champion Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes,” 90 million people tuned in. Her victory — over an older man who by that time had developed a reputation as more of a tennis hustler than a competitor — marked a turning point for women in sports. 

“There have always been women in sport who’ve countered stereotypes, but in terms of media spectacle, you probably have to talk about Billie Jean King,” said Mary McDonald, a sports historian and professor at Georgia Tech. “Her match against Bobby Riggs comes in the 1970s when you see the rise of women getting into sports.”

King was perfectly matched to her era, rising to fame amid the second wave of feminism and Title IX legislation. 

Clark is similarly well-suited for an age of social media-savvy fans and unlimited endorsement opportunities.

“There’s a lot of disruptions in ways that I haven’t seen before. With a little bit of an opening in social media, we get a lot more voices,” Ms. McDonald said. “We’re in a really unique historic moment with a variety of convergences coming together.”

Those convergences include the growth of the WNBA. After years of investment from the NBA, women’s basketball has found a stable audience in recent years. The WNBA saw a 27 percent growth in viewers last season. Clark could send those numbers even higher, according to Ms. McDonald.

“I always hate to compare it to men’s sport, but I kind of compare it to Michael Jordan coming into the league after [Larry] Bird and Magic [Johnson] had already elevated the league,” Ms. McDonald said. “She’s coming in and the door is open for her.”

When Michael Jordan joined the Chicago Bulls, he caught the eyes of countless casual fans with aerial acrobatics and posterizing dunks that were destined to adorn bedroom walls. 

Clark’s on-court abilities — she routinely fires off surgically precise bounce passes and fearlessly lasers-in half-court 3-pointers — have proven irresistible for fans, from the most hardcore hoops junkie to a new generation of girls just learning the game. 

“Folks who aren’t necessarily basketball fans could still see that basketball IQ,” said Victoria Jackson, a sports history professor at Arizona State University. “The way she kind of ran the court like an NFL quarterback, that helps attract crossover fans.”

There’s no debate about Clark’s talent — she’s a generational player who led Division I in assists and points this season. But historians say other female athletes could have had the same kind of impact — the media landscape just wasn’t willing to embrace women’s sports. 

”There’s just so many factors that have come together to create Clark,” Ms. McDonald said.  “Players come together as icons at the constellation of a variety of historical forces … there have been a lot of talented players who could have had a far reach with their skill sets.”

Clark came along at the right time. She played college basketball when media companies and universities started to invest in women’s sports and the NCAA allowed players to build their personal brands. She also grew up watching the WNBA — the Iowa native could see what was possible for female athletes.

“When you’re given an opportunity, women’s sports just kind of thrives,” Clark said. “I think that’s been the coolest thing for me on this journey … It just continues to get better and better and better. That’s never going to stop.”

Clark’s rookie season in the WNBA will likely include a detour this summer on the international stage. She’s expected to join the U.S. women’s national basketball team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The 22-year-old keeps checking off boxes from her elementary school wishlist. She attended college on a basketball scholarship. She traveled the world as a member of Team USA’s under-19 squads. Playing in the Olympics would be the latest achievement for the Iowa girl with grand ambitions. But she says she won’t take it for granted.

“Anytime you’re invited to do anything for USA Basketball, it’s a tremendous honor,” Clark said. “I think growing up, your dream is always to be on the national team … A lot of those players that are in that pool are my idols. Those are people I grew up watching and wanting to be like.”