Players, coaches and fans the world over are gearing up for what is already a transformative season for the WNBA, headlined by record-smashing number-one draftee Caitlin Clark.
The new season begins on Wednesday AEST, but surging ticket sales have already prompted teams to move games into larger venues.
The league has also recently launched a charter flight program for players, pouring in a reported $50 million over the next two years.
Players and coaches said radical change has arrived for the WNBA, after decades of the men’s “Big Four” – the NBA, NFL, National Hockey League and Major League Baseball — maintaining a chokehold on American sport.
“It’s not business as usual anymore. And this has been brewing for a while,” Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve told reporters.
“We’ve been on a wave. But this is like, you know, a bit more of a tsunami.”
Clark and a charismatic cast of fellow rookies that include the Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese and Los Angeles Sparks’ Cameron Brink have been given the lion’s share of the credit.
The hype surrounding Clark stems partly from a scintillating run of form with NCAA side Iowa across February and March, when she became the all-time women’s Division I scoring leader, major college scoring record holder and Division I career points record holder for women and men.
A record 2.45 million people tuned in to watch Clark go first overall to the Indiana Fever in the WNBA draft on April 16.
Her college finale against South Carolina drew the biggest TV audience for a basketball game in the US since 2019.
And Clark merchandise became the best-selling products of any draft pick for sportswear manufacturer Fanatics, with brands lining up to do business with the guard.
“Nobody’s been under a stronger spotlight, a bigger microscope in the women’s game, probably in the history of the game, than Caitlin Clark was. And she continually lived up to the moment,” said Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo, an ESPN analyst who played in the league beginning in its 1997 inaugural year.
“She seems to be a player who’s a bit unfazed by what we would look at as pressure or expectation.”
‘This has been a long time coming’
The accelerated interest has not come as a surprise to veteran players.
The league enjoyed its most-watched season in more than two decades last year, buoyed by the popularity of the two “superteams”, the New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces.
“We could feel that last season,” MVP Breanna Stewart told reporters.
“This tipping point and this movement has been a long time coming.”
Las Vegas Aces, the wildly popular champions, are moving their July 2 game against Clark’s Fever from their home to a larger 18,000-capacity venue.
The Los Angeles Sparks originally planned to play their first five home games at Long Beach State due to renovations at their usual stadium.
They moved a trio of contests — including a May 24 meeting with the Fever — from the collegiate facility back to the arena they share with the NBA’s Lakers.
“Women’s basketball is experiencing unprecedented viewership and attendance numbers, so moving these games back to Crypto.com Arena provides us the ability to have more fans in the stands,” Sparks President Christine Monjer said in a statement.
Sales for WNBA games were nearly double from last season on StubHub, following a growth trend over several years.
The Fever play in nine of the 10 best-selling games this season on the ticket resale platform.
Speaking to the throngs of reporters who tuned in for a preseason press conference, Clark said she was ready to embrace the moment.
“This is what the league and the players in this league have deserved for a really long time,” Clark said.
The Indiana Fever begin their season on the road on Wednesday (AEST)against the Connecticut Sun.
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Reuters/ABC
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