Caitlin Clark’s star power pushes six WNBA teams to bigger arenas

Caitlin Clark’s arrival in the WNBA has been nothing short of a game-changer. The Indiana Fever’s rookie sensation, drafted No. 1 in 2024, has sparked a surge in interest that’s rippling across the league. From shattering viewership records to packing arenas, her presence-dubbed the “Caitlin Clark Effect”-is rewriting the script for women’s basketball.

Case in point: six WNBA teams have already shifted at least one upcoming game against the Fever to larger venues for the 2025 season, all to handle the flood of fans eager to catch Clark in action.

Clark’s rookie year was a whirlwind. She led the Fever to the playoffs, snagged Rookie of the Year, and turned heads with her deep threes and slick passes. But it’s not just her stats-4,134 NCAA points and a WNBA-leading 8.2 assists per game as a rookie-that have teams scrambling. It’s the crowds she draws. Last season, Fever games averaged 17,274 fans at home, a 319% jump from 2023, per Yahoo Sports.

On the road, her games smashed attendance records, with teams like the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics moving matchups to NBA-sized arenas to fit everyone in. “She helps ticket sales,” Aces coach Becky Hammon quipped last year, and the numbers back it up-Clark’s games accounted for 33.5% of the league’s total attendance in 2024.

From small courts to big stages: Six teams move Fever games for Clark

Now, as the 2025 season looms, six teams-the Aces, Mystics, Atlanta Dream, Los Angeles Sparks, Dallas Wings, and one more yet to be named-aren’t taking chances. They’ve bumped Fever games from their usual digs to bigger spots like T-Mobile Arena (18,000 seats) and American Airlines Center (20,000 seats).

The Wings’ June 27 clash with Indiana, for instance, marks their first-ever WNBA game at the Mavericks’ home court. Why? Because Clark’s pull is undeniable. Her 2024 road games saw venues like State Farm Arena in Atlanta sell out 17,000 seats-up from the Dream’s typical 3,500.

This isn’t just about logistics-it’s a testament to Clark’s star power. “I’m a part of history,” Fever teammate Kelsey Mitchell said last June, marveling at the crowds. Teams are banking on her to keep filling seats, especially after the WNBA’s 2024 attendance hit 2.35 million, the highest in 22 years. For smaller-market squads, moving to larger venues isn’t just practical-it’s a chance to cash in on the buzz. Clark’s not just playing ball; she’s reshaping the league’s landscape, one sold-out arena at a time.