The WNBA is having a moment. Overall attendance has skyrocketed, with many teams experiencing their first sell outs in years- or ever in some cases! Merchandise sales are up over 150%. Sites like Stub Hub and other reselling sites are seeing prices over 400% higher for certain games vs. last year.
At the center of this growth is the long- struggling team Indiana Fever. They clinched a playoff spot last week for the first time since 2016. Their star has risen so much that even at their away games as many as half the fans are wearing their jerseys.
And unless you’ve just gotten back from a 3 month trip to outer space you know what the difference is this year- Caitlin Clark. She has not only revitalized a franchise in desperate need of a boost, but some say may be the savior of the entire WNBA. She seems to set a new WNBA rookie record- or an overall WNBA record- every game.
Living in Iowa we’ve been fortunate to be able to see every Fever game (a local ABC affiliate picked up all the games not available elsewhere). It’s become appointment television here at Casa Palmer and I’m surprised how much we’ve enjoyed it. I used to watch a lot of basketball, but I can’t watch the NBA anymore. It’s all highlight reels and show boating. I watch a little college basketball, but not much until March Madness comes around.
So this WNBA season has come as a pleasant surprise to me. It’s fun to watch AND it’s fun to watch with my husband. What more could I ask for?