By Rachel Carpenter
When many people hear about the WNBA, like me, one name comes to mind: Caitlin Clark. Being regarded as one of the league’s most generational players already, even at the young age of 23, her popularity hasn’t solely helped her team, the Indiana Fever, but other organizations as well. Overall regular season ticket prices have soared for an average of $173, which is more than a 43% increase compared to two years ago. With Clark being sidelined for much of the season with a groin injury, let’s take a look at the impact it has had on the league.
To start, what if I told you that Clark’s absence hasn’t had much of an effect on the league? This sounds surprising, right? Of course, there are people whose mindset is Clark isn’t playing, so why would I watch? I occasionally find myself falling into this trap, but shockingly, this mindset hasn’t had much of a ripple effect.
Emphasizing my point, here are some stats for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs despite a sidelined Clark:
- Ratings have risen 3% (an average of 969,000 viewers across ESPN, CBS, and Ion)
- Ticket sales have been averaging just below $140, notably higher than $64 the year before she was in the league
As this surprised me, I think it is almost a way to articulate how much of a presence she provides, even in her absence. Having a sensational rookie season last year, she drew viewership all across the league. People have discovered a love for other teams and players, expanding its overall popularity. So, even without her, the WNBA’s recent games haven’t taken too much of a hit.
Indiana’s Playoff Push
To continue, let’s circle back to Indiana’s current run. Despite this challenge, the Fever, set as the 6th seed, have made a remarkable playoff run, beating the Atlanta Dream two games to one. Now, they are set to face the A’ja Wilson powerhouse of the Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals. It will surely be a challenge beating Wilson—who just won her fourth WNBA MVP in five seasons—but this group is already up to the challenge of beating the number two seed.
In game one, still reeling from Clark’s absence, coach Stephanie White has relied heavily on their leading scorer, Kelsey Mitchell, who erupted for 34 points in their most recent upset win, 89-73. A sole scoring guard, she has proved to be a defensive nightmare for opposing teams. Her quick first step and wide array of dribble moves, not to mention having a deadly outside shot, has been the Fever’s most valuable scoring production. Still, it’s a question of whether or not she can keep up this heavy production for the rest of the series. Even more importantly, post player Aliyah Boston, who defended Wilson well (holding her to 16 points, 6-22 from the field), must continue to apply pressure. Of course, she will have games where she’s going to dominate, which is also why the Fever must limit production from other Aces players, such as Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray. Even if Wilson puts up big numbers, the production around her will be limited, thus lowering the total points scored.
Furthermore, with a Clark-less Fever team, and all eyes on Mitchell and Boston, they will need sufficient production from:
- Lexie Hull (for hustle plays and three’s),
- Odyssey Sims (a tough-nosed guard known for her underdog mentality)
- Natasha Howard (for rebounding and defensive help if Boston gets in foul trouble)
Again, with Clark being out for a few months already, they surely have had experience with learning how to win, using others to fill her void.
As the 2025 WNBA Playoff semifinals are set to keep rolling, it will be intriguing to keep an eye out for the underdog Fever. Despite Clark’s absence, other players are stepping up on the court, and fans are stepping up both in-person and at home to continue rallying behind their favorite teams and players like never before.
Sources:
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WNBA Finals Ticket Interest—And Prices—Are Higher …Forbeshttps://www.forbes.com › Business