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The WNBA sold out its All-Star Game, which is scheduled for Saturday night in Phoenix, Arizona. Certainly, Indiana Fever rookie sensation Caitlin Clark played a major role in that outcome.
The league knows that, too. Last year’s WNBA All-Star Game was held in Las Vegas at Michelob Ultra Arena. It’s the home of the Las Vegas Aces and seats 12,000 people.
According to Basketball Reference, last year’s game drew just over 75% capacity (9,472).
Remember that when Clark faced the Las Vegas Aces in a regular season game early this month, the team moved the game to T-Mobile Arena and sold out all 20,000+ seats.
The 2024 WNBA All-Star Game has sold out in part thanks to Caitlin Clark who continues to drive people to the league like never before.
(Getty Images)
Last year’s game represented the usual procedure for the WNBA All-Star events. The 2022 version was held in Chicago at Wintrust Arena, which holds 10,000 people. That game did not sell out, either.
This year, though, the league is holding the game at Footprint Center in Phoenix, which is the home of the NBA’s Suns and holds over 17,000 people.
As expected, every ticket has already been sold. Not only that, but the only tickets left for Friday night – which is when the WNBA holds its skills competition and three-point shootout – are standing-room only.
It’s impossible not to draw a direct link between the WNBA All-Star Game sellout and Caitlin Clark.
Take into account the WNBA All-Star voting this year. Clark led the fan vote with over 700,000 votes received. Last year, the COMBINED total of the top-ten vote-getters was just over 650,000.
Yes, Clark received more fan votes this season than the entire top ten combined last year.
Angel Reese, often credited with being just as important to the league as Clark, finished 5th in All-Star voting, receiving just over half as many votes as Clark.
Look, none of this information is new. The WNBA is seeing unprecedented numbers of viewers, both on television and in arenas. The All-Star Game provides the latest example of that.
The reason is simple: Caitlin Clark.
And there’s nothing wrong with acknowledging that.
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