Caitlin Clark has brought more than just eyeballs to the WNBA during her rookie season; she’s also brought betting activity to the league.
Games featuring Clark draw three times as many bets as the league’s baseline, according to a report published Monday by the marketing agency Optimove.
For the report, Optimove researchers analyzed 15 million bets placed on 43 WNBA games in May — nine of the matchups featured Clark and her Indiana Fever. The study noted a steep increase in betting activity for Fever games.
The five games with the most bets all featured Clark, including a season-opening tilt with the Connecticut Sun that saw 544% more bets than the baseline.
On average, Clark’s games saw a 380% increase in the number of bets.
“The data indicates a substantial boost in betting activity during women’s games with Caitlin Clark,” the report’s conclusion reads. “This suggests that individual players can significantly influence the betting landscape, underscoring the importance of star power in driving fan engagement and betting.”
The betting surge followed Clark from the college ranks to the WNBA, the report said. Optimove noted that games featuring the Iowa product drew 540% more bets than the baseline during this year’s NCAA tournament.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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