Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese rematch most expensive WNBA game ever
New York –
This weekend’s rematch between basketball rivals Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese is breaking more records before it even begins.
Ticket prices for Clark’s Indiana Fever and Reese’s Chicago Sky are the most expensive for a WNBA game ever, according to TickPick, with the average hovering at around US$253 — 187 per cent higher than the Sky’s average purchase price of US$88. Currently, the cheapest seat just to see the game is around US$250 with the most expensive ticket on sale going for more than US$9,000.
It’s the third time this season that the opponents have met in the WNBA. Previous matchups have been close, physical affairs between the former college rivals that have sparked national attention and record TV ratings.
Last Sunday’s game between Fever and Sky was the most-watched WNBA game on any network in 23 years, according to CBS, averaging 2.25 million viewers and peaking at nearly 3 million. The Fever won 91-83 and are 2-0 against the Sky this season.
Excitement for this weekend’s game is so high that ticket prices are 116 per cent more expensive than this past season’s tickets for Chicago Bulls home games, which averaged US$117, a TickPick representative told CNN.
Clark is no stranger to boosting ratings: The NCAA women’s basketball tournament title game between the South Carolina Gamecocks and her Iowa Hawkeyes drew nearly 19 million viewers, shattering records to become the most-watched women’s college basketball game ever measured by Nielsen.
Clark, Reese and other high-profile players have helped the WNBA record its highest-attended opening month in 26 years, with the league recently announcing it was the most-watched start of the season games ever across all six networks that broadcast games.
People of color and young fans have turned to the WNBA, with viewership growing 60% year over year among people of color, according to the league, a massive rise particularly among Hispanic and Black audiences.
