Caitlin Clark's rapid ascent in the sports world is resonating beyond the basketball court. After playing her final college game in early April, she concluded her college career with the highest points total in NCAA history for both men’s and women’s basketball. Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes not only reached the national championship game twice in succession but also achieved this feat after having made it to the final only once prior.
Just eight days after her college career wrapped up, Clark was selected as the number one pick in the WNBA draft. She has since participated in five games for the Indiana Fever, quickly making an impression in the professional league, with evidence of strong fan support.
Both of the Fever's home matches drew sell-out crowds at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Their away game against the Connecticut Sun marked the first sell-out home opener since 2003. Matches against the Seattle Storm and the New York Liberty also attracted record-breaking attendance.
Anticipating high ticket sales, the Fever's game in Las Vegas in July has been moved to T-Mobile Arena. This will be the second time this season that the Fever play in Las Vegas, following a previous matchup against the Aces that ended in a 99-80 loss and saw 10,399 fans in attendance, marking the fourth-highest turnout for an Aces game at Michelob ULTRA Arena.
The influence of Clark extends into sportsbooks and daily fantasy contests. PrizePicks reported a staggering 185% increase in WNBA picks for their opening night this year compared to 2023. Over the past week, Clark has emerged as the second-most selected player in both men's and women's games, even surpassing notable players like Jayson Tatum and Nikola Jokic, who has won three of the last four NBA MVP awards.
Clark is also positioned as one of the MVP favorites. Fanatics Sportsbook has indicated that despite being a rookie, she is third in line for the MVP award. Should she win, Clark would join Candace Parker as only the second rookie to achieve this honor in WNBA history. Currently, 29.2% of all MVP bets in the WNBA are placed on Clark.
Despite finishing last season with a 13-27 record, making them the third-worst team in the league, the Fever are now the fifth favorites to win the WNBA Championship. Their poor performance hasn't deterred betting; they lead in WNBA title bets with 48.8% of tickets and 43.1% of total wagering handle. Consequently, their odds have decreased by 20%.
However, skepticism remains. The most popular WNBA futures bet at Fanatics is that the Fever will win 21 games or fewer this season.
Jay Kornegay, vice president of race and sportsbook operations at the Westgate Las Vegas, noted a 22% increase in betting interest for the WNBA over previous years, attributing it to Clark's impact. He compares her effect on women's sports to that of Tiger Woods on golf in the 1990s. "There’s no doubt the impact is real," Kornegay stated, emphasizing how Clark has elevated interest not just in women’s basketball but across various women's sports.
At SuperBook, prop bets for Clark are garnering attention akin to that of the NBA playoffs. Nonetheless, the nature of the draft means that top talent often joins the struggling teams, which in this case is the Fever, currently at 1-6. Clark ranks among the league's top players, averaging a respectable 19 points per game and fourth in assists. However, Kornegay warned that without improvement in the Fever's performance, betting interest may decline.
Cornegay believes that as the Fever shows signs of progress, perhaps making a playoff or championship run, betting figures will align with those seen during her time in college.
Clark's NCAA tournament performances have already surpassed betting interest for the U.S. women's national soccer team, which has been a longstanding flagship for female sports in America. Kornegay remarked, "We’ve never seen that type of action on any women's sport like we saw with Caitlin Clark and her Iowa team," pointing out how their final loss to South Carolina on April 7 drew 34% more bets than the next most popular event, an NBA game featuring the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Clark continues to attract significant media attention, including a multi-year deal by TNT Sports to broadcast at least 16 WNBA regular-season games live in the UK and Ireland. Social media buzz has also surged in her favor. If the Fever's fan engagement matches the excitement from Clark's college days, the potential betting numbers could be extraordinary as she shapes into a central figure in both the WNBA and women's sports as a whole.
