WNBA ticket sales go up 93%, report points to Caitlin Clark as the reason
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever are the main reasons for a spike in WNBA ticket demand. According to a season preview report from StubHub, WNBA ticket sales are up 93 % compared to last year.
The report says the increase in demand has to do with Caitlin Clark, calling the Indiana Fever star’s impact on the game “Electrifying.”
Clark and the Fever have their first pre-season game Friday in Texas, in front of a sold-out crowd. Tip-off against the Dallas Knights is at 8 p.m.
The report shows ticket sales for the Fever are 13 times higher than last year. It also shows nine of the 10 best-selling games this season are Indiana away games.
StubHub Spokesperson Joseph Bocanegra said there are still single game tickets available for the home opener May 16th against New York: “What’s exciting about WNBA games is you can still get in for a reasonable cost, we’re seeing the average price to get into the game is around 30 dollars for that season opener.”
Some individual tickets closer to the floor are listed at $400 or more.
Sales for road Fever games are also up 80 percent from last year so much so some teams are moving to larger arenas.
“We’re seeing the Washington Mystics move to a bigger arena, we’re seeing the Las Vegas Aces move to a bigger arena, just to accommodate the away game when they play the Fever,” said Bocanegra.
Report Highlights:
- Demand for the WNBA rise: Sales nearly doubled last season at this time, a growth trend StubHub has tracked over the years
- Sales are 41 times higher compared to the 2018 season start, 15 times higher than 2019, and 5 times higher than 2022
- Indiana Fever is the top trending team: Fever sales are up more than 13 times – this same time -last year. StubHub says the Fever play in nine of the 10 best-selling games this season
- The Fever are the #3 in-demand team: Up from the No. 11 spot in 2023
Top Trending WNBA Teams
Top In-Demand WNBA Games
The top 10 selling games of the season are Indiana Fever away games, except for one Las Vegas Aces game. The games include:
- @ New York Liberty on May 18
- @ Las Vegas Aces on May 25
- @ Los Angeles Sparks on May 24
- @ Chicago Sky on June 23
- @ Connecticut Sun on May 14
- @ Seattle Storm on May 22
- @ Dallas Wings on July 17
- Phoenix Mercury at Las Vegas Aces on May 14
- @ New York Liberty on June 2
- @ Las Vegas Aces on July 2
StubHub encourages people to be patient while buying tickets. Demand is at its peak during the initial on-sale. They also say sticker shock on tickets should not deter people and wait for prices to settle on the resale market. If you do buy tickets, make sure you use a trusted seller.