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The Caitlin Clark effect is yet to simmer down.
The WNBA star has taken the Indiana Fever to new heights, and in the process beat out rival Angel Reese and every NFL, NBA, and MLB team in one key department.
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The WNBA enjoyed a record-breaking year with regular-season attendance up by 48 percent and viewership on ESPN up by 170 percent.
Much of this success is undoubtedly due to the 2024 rookie class with No.1 overall pick Clark spearheading the interest.
31 WNBA matches last season averaged over one million viewers and 22 of them involved Clark, with almost every fixture she played in being broadcast on national television.
The 22-year-old’s own team, the Indiana Fever, saw their attendance rise by 320 percent to a league-leading average of 17,000 per game.
Such unprecedented success paved the way for a new $78 million training center in downtown Indianapolis.
The facility will open in two years and features two full-size courts, and strength and conditioning facilities along with podcast and content production studios.
New media spaces might be the result of record-breaking social engagement figures the Fever enjoyed in 2024.
According to a report released by Indiana themselves, the team topped the WNBA in social media engagement, video views, followers gained and total followers. This led to the team securing the most sponsors in the league.
However, it’s not just the WNBA the Fever are beating teams in.
Between April 15 and July 19, they beat every NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB in team-produced video consumption, with over 800 million views.
Another new report was also released, this time for the entirety of 2024, with brand analytics firm Zoomph ranking every sports team in North America by their total social value and growth.
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Four WNBA teams packed out the top five in terms of growth, with Fever top of the list ahead of rival Reese’s Chicago Sky in second.
The Fever’s total social value is listed at $71.9 million, with a total social growth of 635 percent compared to 2023.
The Sky’s saw a 590.20 percent growth vs 2023 for a $17. 5 million social value.
NWSL side Orlando Pride were third on the list, with WNBA clubs Minnesota Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks rounding out the top five.
Teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB) and Washington Commanders (NFL) naturally have a higher overall value, but no team across the NFL, MLB or NBA is enjoying the same level of growth as WNBA teams, especially the Fever.
However, the Fever do have a total higher value than the Minnesota Timberwolves and Washington Commanders, which puts into perspective just how popular the team currently is.
The WNBA will be looking to extend their record-breaking growth into 2025 when the league returns on May 16, a day which sees a blockbuster clash tip off the new season.
Reese and Clark will face off in the first game after playing each other a staggering five times last season, demonstrating the high demand the two players draw.
