Caitlin Clark attendance boom: When the Fever visit a city, some WNBA teams search for larger arenas.
WNBA teams have begun to take advantage of Caitlin Clark’s rising stardom.
Some are reserving larger spaces for the upcoming visit of Clark and the Indiana Fever.
The Washington Mystics and Las Vegas Aces will now play the Fever in larger arenas. According to Clark’s college statistics, it’s a wise decision.
When the Hawkeyes, who were selected with the first overall pick in the draft, travelled this past season, they played to sold-out audiences or attendance records while still at Iowa.
“I believe it’s a really excellent moment to have eyes because she helps with ticket sales. Aces coach Becky Hammon predicted that she will become an outstanding player. She attended college. She has accomplished things in college that no one else has. She will play a fantastic role for the W. There’s no denying it.
“So, even though I’m not sure if they’ll be cheering against her, we’ll take as many people as we can jam into the building to support her,” joked Hammon. “I suppose they could be applauding her.”
The 18,000-seat T-Mobile Arena replaced the 12,000-seat Michelob Ultra Arena as the home arena for the two-time WNBA champion Aces on May 25.
The players on the Aces give credit to Clark, but they also recognise that their team—which has won the last two WNBA titles—has done a fantastic job of drawing more fans to games in recent years.
“There won’t be a red carpet arrival. Our goal as a business is to sell plenty of tickets. Bravo to Clark, but we’ve done that in major games before as well,” guard Kelsey Plum of Las Vegas said. “A large number of people participate in basketball. Attendees are there to see A’ja Wilson. Chelsea Grey will be watched by many.
“I’m not saying that’s for her; it’s not a jab at anyone.” Last year, we had a show in Chicago. Last year, we sold out of it.
On Friday night at Dallas, a sold-out game, Clark will make her preseason debut.
Washington’s former arena, Capital One Arena, will host the Mystics’ June 7 matchup with Indiana. The maximum basketball capacity of the Capital One Arena is more than 20,000, however their usual home, the Entertainment and Sports Arena, can accommodate up to 4,200 spectators.
There’s no reason to shift WNBA games since nearly half of the teams play in NBA arenas.
Some, like the Chicago Sky, are feeling pressure to shift games to bigger arenas, but not everyone is.
The 10,000-seat Wintrust Arena is the home field for both the Sky and Angel Reese. To relocate their first home game against Indiana to the larger United Centre, supporters launched a petition. That isn’t going to happen because the Fever are slated to perform at that arena on June 23.
Another team that might reschedule their game versus Indiana is the Los Angeles Sparks.
The Sparks’ five home games this season will be held at Long Beach due to arena issues caused by ongoing construction as well as the NBA and NHL playoffs. On May 24, they will be hosting the Fever, which is expected to take place at Long Beach. The 4,000-seat facility will host the team’s first five games.
There’s always a chance that the Indiana game will be moved to USC, where the Sparks have previously hosted games. When asked about moving the game, the Sparks responded that they had nothing formal to share.
On June 21, Clark and the Fever will be hosted by The Atlanta Dream, who also play in a tiny venue with only 3,500 seats. The group has not yet stated if it is considering seeking to relocate to a larger arena.