The rematch between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese this weekend has already set a new record in the WNBA. Ticket prices for the game between Clark’s Indiana Fever and Reese’s Chicago Sky have soared, with an average price of $253, according to TickPick. This figure is 187% higher than the Sky’s average ticket price of $88, per Jordan Valinsky of CNN. The cheapest tickets for the game are around $250, while the most expensive ones have reached over $9,000.
This will be the third meeting this season between the former college rivals, whose games have consistently been close and intense, garnering national attention and record television ratings. Last Sunday’s game between the Fever and the Sky was the most-watched WNBA game on any network in 23 years, as reported by CBS, with an average of 2.25 million viewers and a peak of nearly 3 million. The Fever won that game 91-83, bringing their record against the Sky this season to 2-0.
The excitement surrounding this weekend’s game has driven ticket prices to be 116% more expensive than the average price for Chicago Bulls home games this past season, which stood at $117, according to a TickPick representative speaking to CNN.
Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese boost ratings
Clark has a history of boosting ratings. Her participation in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament title game between the South Carolina Gamecocks and her Iowa Hawkeyes drew nearly 19 million viewers, setting a record as the most-watched women’s college basketball game ever measured by Nielsen. Alongside Reese and other high-profile players, Clark has helped the WNBA achieve its highest-attended opening month in 26 years. The league recently announced that this season's start was the most-watched ever across all six networks that broadcast games.
The WNBA has seen a significant increase in viewership among people of color and young fans, with a 60% year-over-year growth in viewers of color, particularly among Hispanic and Black audiences.
The Fever’s 91-83 victory over the Sky featured three of the top seven picks from April’s WNBA Draft: Clark, Reese and Kamilla Cardoso. Clark and the Fever have participated in each of the five most-viewed WNBA games since 2002, with two of those games being matchups against Chicago.
The Fever have also become only the second team in WNBA history to open the season with eight consecutive home games at 15,000-plus attendance. Wednesday night’s sellout 88-81 win over the Washington Mystics matched the 2002 Mystics' attendance record. It marked the Fever’s third consecutive win, improving their record to 6-10 and keeping them in the playoff picture. The Fever are expected to achieve nine home games with 15,000-plus attendance, as they host the New York Liberty on July 6. Up next, they face five straight road games.
The Fever have secured three single-digit wins at home.
“This is the true definition of home-court advantage,” Fever forward Aliyah Boston said postgame, via Matthew Byrne of ClutchPoints. “We feel the energy.”
Boston, who tied to lead the team with 22 points, has been a consistent force in the paint for the Fever. Caitlin Clark contributed significantly with 18 points and 12 rebounds
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