Legendary former Lakers star and current majority owner of the Los Angeles Sparks Magic Johnson, shared his insights on the impact Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have had on basketball, particularly the WNBA.
In a phone interview with The Associated Press, Johnson highlighted how these two players transformed the landscape of college basketball and are now making waves in the professional league.
“Those two, especially Caitlin, are definitely a direct result for what’s going on in the WNBA,” Johnson said, per Doug Feinberg of the Associated Press. “They’ve changed college basketball. The ratings don’t lie, the numbers don’t lie. Then we see it right now, probably more Caitlin than Angel, coming into the league because she’s selling out arenas. Caitlin is drawing 19,000. Angel isn’t there yet, but I’m sure she’ll get there.”
Clark and the Indiana Fever lead the league in road attendance, averaging over 15,000 fans away from home. A sellout crowd of 17,071 attended the Fever-Mercury game in Phoenix on Sunday night. The Fever's upcoming game Tuesday against the Las Vegas Aces was moved to the larger T-Mobile Arena to accommodate the high demand and will be nationally televised.
Similarly, Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky are second in road attendance, averaging nearly 10,500 fans. Johnson's Sparks, featuring rookies Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson, are just behind Chicago in attendance figures, also averaging over 10,000 fans per game.
Johnson, who played a pivotal role in revitalizing the NBA alongside Larry Bird in the 1980s, recognizes the parallels between his era and the current impact of Clark and Reese. The 1979 NCAA championship game between Johnson's Michigan State and Bird's Indiana State remains the most-watched game in NCAA history, and their rivalry boosted the NBA's popularity. Now, Johnson sees Clark and Reese bringing similar excitement and growth to the WNBA.
“I think what we were able to do, the NBA was down, we were able to change it forever,” Johnson said. “We also put the madness in March because that game is still the No. 1 watched game all-time — Indiana State vs. Michigan State.”
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese rivalry is good for the WNBA
Clark and Reese have become significant draws for WNBA games, with some matches being moved to larger arenas to meet ticket demand. When their teams faced off in Chicago on June 23, it resulted in the highest average price for a WNBA ticket in the past decade, with seats averaging $351 according to Vivid Seats.
Both players are also turning rookie of the year honors into a two-player race. Clark, the overall No. 1 pick by Indiana, is averaging 16.2 points, 6.9 assists and 5.7 rebounds. Reese, selected No. 7 by Chicago, has set a WNBA record with 10 consecutive double-doubles and leads the league in rebounding, averaging 13.3 points and 11.4 rebounds.
Dwyane Wade, part-owner of the Sky, noted the additional challenge Clark and Reese face with the heightened attention from social media.
“You have fan bases drawn to Caitlin Clark because of who she is and what she represents and you have fan bases drawn to Angel Reese because of who she is and what she represents which brings in more attention, more sellouts, more jersey sellouts,” Wade said.
Johnson sees the increasing popularity of Clark and Reese as an opportunity to boost the women’s game and enhance salaries, similar to the effect he and Bird had on the NBA. With the WNBA looking to sign a new TV deal after next season, Johnson is optimistic about the future.
“It’s great for the women’s game, it’s the most excited I’ve been because I see the game growing,” Johnson said. “Before we didn’t have the growth. But now we have the growth. These two certainly are helping.”
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