Sidelined by injury, she still reshaped the WNBA
.jpg)
The 2025 WNBA season broke the all-time attendance record, surpassing 2.5 million fans by August 21, eclipsing the total set in 2002. This milestone came despite the season's most compelling storyline: the absence of its biggest star.
Clark suffered a right groin injury on July 15 in the final minute of the Indiana Fever's win over the Connecticut Sun and missed the remainder of the WNBA season, appearing in just 13 of 41 regular-season games. After never missing a game during four years at the University of Iowa or during her rookie WNBA season in 2024, three separate injuries sidelined her for 28 of 41 regular-season games in 2025, including the Commissioner's Cup final and the All-Star Game in her home arena.
Yet even in her absence, the Clark Effect continued to reshape professional women's basketball. The economic transformation she triggered in 2024 carried unstoppable momentum into 2025.
.jpg)
Finance professor Dr. Ryan Brewer determined that Clark was responsible for a staggering 26.5% of all WNBA economic activity in 2024, including revenue from merchandise, ticket sales and television. Analyzing her potential impact for 2025, Brewer projected Clark's presence would add a minimum of $875 million to the WNBA's overall value, with the potential to exceed $1 billion.
Forbes valued the Indiana Fever at $370 million, second only the Golden State Valkyries (an expansion team) which had the highest valuation in the league at $500 million. The Fever lead the league in revenue at an estimated $32 million in 2024 while becoming the most-followed women's basketball team online. This represented a staggering leap from Sportico's 2023 valuation of just $90 million, slightly less than the estimated league average.
Her 2024 television dominance created a new baseline for the league. Of the 24 WNBA-related broadcasts that drew at least 1 million television viewers in 2024, 21 involved Clark, according to an analysis by Sports Media Watch that included the league's draft and All-Star Game All three WNBA games that drew more than 20,000 fans included the Fever.
The merchandise explosion continued into 2025. WNBA merchandise sales through Dick's Sporting Goods increased 233% compared to 2023, while all WNBA merchandise sold by Fanatics increased by more than 500% versus the previous season. Clark ranked in the top 20 of Fanatics' top-selling athletes across all sports, and sixth among all basketball players, including the NBA.
The Fever averaged 17,035 fans at their 20 home games in 2024, more than the Indiana Pacers averaged over 41 games at the same arena. Clark's overall economic impact on Indianapolis reached $36.5 million.
The Fever were 8-5 with Clark in the lineup and 16-15 without her in 2025. At 24-20, they held the eighth and final playoff spot. In her 13 games, she averaged 16.5 points, 8.8 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals.
The financial disparity remained stark. Clark received a base salary of $78,000 for the 2025 season, with 99% of her annual income coming from sponsorships off the court, headlined by an eight-year, $28 million deal with Nike.
"She particularly is the one who's driving in a new kind of demographic that is reaching new kinds of people from the traditional WNBA fan base that is causing this growth rate and also accelerating interest in corporate sponsorships," Brewer explained.
The 2025 season proved something remarkable: Clark's impact transcended her presence on the court. Her injuries couldn't halt the economic revolution she'd ignited. Attendance records fell. Valuations soared. The WNBA's commercial infrastructure fundamentally transformed. One player changed everything, proving that a single transcendent talent can reshape an entire league's trajectory, even from the sideline. [RS]
Join us daily for the countdown to #1, followed by our Sportsperson of the Year.
Sources:
Caitlin Clark's impact on the WNBA could eclipse 'a billion dollars' || Clarkonomics: Dissecting the complexity of paying Caitlin Clark what she's really worth
No comments:
Post a Comment