Caitlin Clark has been crucial to WNBA. Her absence will be painful
"Once I found out Caitlin wasn't playing, it didn't make sense for us to fly to Indianapolis," Kopecky said in a phone interview Tuesday. "We are Caitlin fans before Fever fans. She's the biggest draw, that's who the girls want to see. That was the whole point of going to Indy, seeing Caitlin Clark. When she was injured, we thought, let's just postpone until August."
Kopecky and his family are not alone. Ticket prices for the next four Fever games on the secondary market are plummeting as fans as well as the WNBA itself begin to grapple with the reality that the biggest draw in the history of women's basketball, and one of the greatest attractions in all of sports, men's and women's, will not be around for awhile. It's happening most dramatically with tickets for the June 7 Fever-Sky game at the 23,500-seat United Center in Chicago, where Clark is such an overwhelming draw that ticket prices have fallen more than 300 percent in less than two days.
I can personally confirm the pronounced change in interest in Fever games without Clark. A week ago, I bought four tickets on StubHub to take my sports-playing nieces to the Fever-Washington Mystics game Wednesday night in Baltimore. Tickets in the same row are now going for less than half of what I paid. I can only imagine what they will cost by game time. Perhaps they'll be giving them away. And yes, we are still going to the game.
Ironically, the reason the game is being played in Baltimore is because the Mystics decided to move it from their 4,200-seat D.C. venue to the 14,000-seat CFG Bank Arena to make as much money off Clark's presence as possible. Massive Capital One Arena, which Clark and the Fever sold out twice last season, including the largest crowd in WNBA regular-season history, 20,711, is undergoing renovations and is unavailable, hence the trip to Baltimore.
The superlatives never seem to stop for Clark, but one stunning statistic stands out above the rest. In Clark's record-breaking rookie season last year, the Fever's average home attendance was by far the highest in the league: 17,036. It also was better than the average home attendance of five NBA teams in the 2023-24 season: their hometown partner Indiana Pacers, the Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards, Memphis Grizzlies and Charlotte Hornets, according to my upcoming book, On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women's Sports.
You read that right. Clark and the Fever beat five NBA teams in average home attendance. Prior to her arrival in the WNBA, this kind of statistic would have been unthinkable. So, for those who want to continue to minimize Clark or her historic impact on the league and throughout women's sports, consider that as she attracts people who never before watched women's basketball, she helps shine a light on so many players in a league that is 74 percent Black or mixed race -- players who never received the attention or recognition they deserved from the male-dominated sports media, as well as a vast swath of the American fan base, until she arrived.
TV viewership, always sky-high for Clark's games, will likely take a hit as well. During the 2024 regular season, of the 23 WNBA games to reach at least one million viewers, 20 of them featured Clark. According to Fox Sports, Clark's games averaged 1.178 million viewers; all other games averaged 394,000. This is why 40 of the 44 Fever games are on national TV this year, the most of any team in the league.
All of this illustrates the significance of Monday's news about Clark. This is not just another player getting injured; this is the WNBA's top financial driver who is now unavailable to play, promote and sell the league for a couple of weeks, at least.
In December 2024, The Indianapolis Star reported that Clark was responsible for 26.5 percent of the WNBA's league-wide activity during the 2024 season, including attendance, merchandise sales and television, according to Dr. Ryan Brewer of Indiana University Columbus. One of every six tickets sold at a WNBA arena could be attributed to Clark, the Star said.
NBC News went back to Brewer before Clark's injury and had him look ahead to her impact on the 2025 WNBA season. The answer? Nearly $1 billion.
That is just how crucial Caitlin Clark is to the WNBA. One would think that the league might acknowledge the moment. But so far, no. Asked three times for a comment on Clark's injury and what it meant to the league, a WNBA spokesman never replied.
Editor's note: Christine Brennan's book, On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women's Sports, will be published by Scribner July 8.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Draymond Green makes astonishing NBA Finals claim ahead of Pacers-Thunder showdown
Four-time champion Draymond Green has claimed that he would rather be eliminated in the first round of the playoffs than lose in the NBA Finals. The Warriors star insists it is 'almost worse' to make it all the way to the Finals, only to fall at the final hurdle. 'One of the worst seasons you can have,' Green said. The 35-year-old was speaking ahead of this year's tussle between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder, which begins on Thursday night. Green and the Warriors won the NBA Championship in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022. But the forward was also part of the Golden State team that lost in the finals in 2016 and 2019. 'If you don't win it, it's almost worse,' the 35-year-old said. 'You might as well have lost in the first round.' 'If you want me to be quite honest with you, I personally think making it to the NBA Finals is one of the worst seasons you can have,' he continued on his YouTube show with Baron Davis. 'Going to the NBA Finals and winning an NBA championship, those two things are so far apart. You can get to the NBA Finals and not be close to winning an NBA championship. 'I know that may sound hard for people to believe... but those that have won championships will definitely understand what I'm saying. 'Those that have been there and didn't quite win will definitely understand what I'm saying. Those two things are so drastically far apart.' The New York Knicks fell short against the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, losing the series 4-2 and then firing head coach Tom Thibodeau. But Green insisted: 'Even if the Knicks made it to the NBA Finals and didn't win it, that's not some accomplishment to me. 'You get nothing for making the NBA Finals except a couple (tens of thousands of dollars) more than the conference final loser... you walk with nothing. The (other) team goes on and celebrates and has this incredible summer. 'And you're kind of left stuck trying to figure out: "Were we really close? Do we need to run it back with this team? What's the tweak we need to make? Because we were right there. Or we weren't really right there."' The Oklahoma City Thunder are favorites to win their second NBA Championship. They are -700 with FanDuel, while the Pacers are +500 win the seven-game series. Oklahoma City had the best record in the NBA over the regular season and Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton admitted: 'We know the odds are stacked against us.' But the guard, who played a pivotal role in Indiana's win over the Knicks, insisted they 'want to go through the best team' to win a first NBA championship. 'This is the best challenge... this is the best team in the NBA. It's been the best team in the NBA all year,' he told ESPN. 'They're well-coached. They just do everything so well. There's no shortcuts to beating this team. 'We know the odds are stacked against us. It is what it is. We want to be here. We want to play against the best. This is the best. We look forward to the challenge as a group.' Haliburton added: 'They're historically great on both sides of the ball... they have the MVP (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander). There's so many different things you could name down the list of why they are so great at what they do, why they're such a great team.'
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Shaquille O'Neal's wild life and £370m fortune he won't share with children
Shaquille O'Neal is one of the greatest basketball players of all time and has amassed a nine-figure fortune - but he plans to leave none of it to his six kids Basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal has amassed a substantial fortune since beginning his illustrious NBA career over three decades ago. The 53-year-old, who won four NBA championships, was named season MVP in 2000, and earned 15 All-Star selections, has arguably achieved equal success off the court. The TNT analyst has numerous business ventures, including being appointed Reebok's president of basketball in 2023. His efforts to revive Reebok's reputation in basketball, alongside NBA legend Allen Iverson, are documented in the new Netflix series Power Moves with Shaquille O'Neal, released today. The show follows O'Neal and Iverson, Reebok's vice president of basketball, as they search for the brand's next marquee name. They seemingly land on WNBA rising star Angel Reese, who has described O'Neal as a "father figure." O'Neal's impact at Reebok has already been significant, even before the show's release. "There's a powerful shift happening at Reebok right now, and Power Moves lets the world experience it with us," Reebok CEO Todd Krinsky said. "This isn't just a comeback, it's a cultural movement, fueled by purpose, passion, and the kind of leadership that inspires real change. Jersey Legends saw that spark and knew this was the moment to capture. "What Shaq, Allen, and our team are building is electric, and this series brings viewers inside the heart of it, as it happens." Here, Mirror Sport takes a closer look at the life of the basketball legend. Building fortune O'Neal, often known as 'Shaq', has made his mark not only on the basketball court but also in the financial world. He boasts an estimated net worth of £370million ($450m) that spans NBA salaries, media gigs, sponsorships, and savvy business dealings. He was the NBA's top earner in three separate seasons, with an eye-watering £20.3m top salary from the Miami Heat and total basketball earnings of £215m ($292m). O'Neal's portfolio isn't limited to shooting hoops; he's netted quite the collection in the business sector, too—buying 155 Five Guys eateries, owning 40 gyms, and sweeping up 150 car washes. However, despite sitting on a goldmine, which includes his endorsement deals with Papa Johns and Pepsi, Shaq is playing hardball when it comes to inheritance. He does not plan to hand over any cash unless his six offspring show grit and enterprise. No inheritance O'Neal opened up about family values on the Earn Your Leisure podcast, admitting his kids are annoyed that he doesn't plan to leave his millions as an inheritance. "My kids are older now. They're kinda upset with me," he confessed. "Not really upset, but they don't understand. I tell them all the time. We ain't rich. I'm rich." Clarifying his stance on wealth and responsibility, he explained: "You gotta have bachelor's or master's [degrees], and then if you want me to invest in one of your companies, you're going to have to present it, boom boom boom, bring it to me. I'll let you know, I'm not giving you nothing. "There's one rule: education. I don't care if you play basketball. I don't care about none of that. "Listen, I got six kids. I would like a doctor, somebody to own a hedge fund, a pharmacist, a lawyer, someone that owns multiple businesses, someone to take over my business. But I tell them I'm not going to hand it to you. You gotta earn." Rolls-Royce spree The former basketball superstar once flashed his cash in spectacular style, spending £1m ($1.3m) in a single day after feeling snubbed at a car dealership. O'Neal, who owns an impressive car collection, had an impulsive moment when a salesperson asked if he could afford a Rolls-Royce. This slight provoked him to purchase three vehicles in one go. It was later revealed that he'd had a customised Superman logo added to his Rolls-Royce Cullinan. "I don't wanna spend $400,000 for a car. So I'm like, 'Hey man how much is this? Nah. How much is this one?'" he recalled on the Revolt podcast, as per the Daily Star. "So finally the old guy says, 'Yo man, you asking about all these cars, can you afford them?'" "Now I'm p*****. I said, 'What the f*** you just said to me?' So I buy three. That one, that one, and that one, and I want them dropped off. Move the seat back. So I got 3 Rolls-Royces that I never drive. So there goes another million." Record trip to Walmart Shaq also boasted about setting a record at Walmart during his appearance on The Late Late Show in 2018. The shopping came shortly after O'Neal joined the Phoenix Suns from the Miami Heat in 2008. "I have the biggest purchase in Walmart history," he said while sitting next to Victoria Beckham. "$70,000. I get traded from Miami to Phoenix, and I'm the type of guy [that] I have no patience. So when I get to Phoenix, they have an apartment for me. Nothing's in it. "Two or three in the morning, I gotta go get four or five TVs, I gotta go get printers, I gotta go get laptops. I gotta go get sheets, towels, underwear, t-shirts." However, he hit a snag when his credit card was declined at the checkout, prompting a call from his bank over fraud concerns: Despite the hiccup, Shaq knew his financial status was solid: "I put it back in, and it said declined again. So now I'm saying, 'Well, I know I'm not broke,'" he quipped. "So I just said 'alright, I'll be back' and then the American Express security called me [and he said] 'hey man, somebody stole your credit card and they spent $70,000 at Walmart'. "I said 'no that was me', [the security guard replied] 'what the hell are you buying for $70,000?"
Wales Online
4 hours ago
- Wales Online
Shaquille O'Neal's £370m fortune, six kids receiving nothing, world record Walmart spend
Shaquille O'Neal's £370m fortune, six kids receiving nothing, world record Walmart spend Shaquille O'Neal is the subject of a new Netflix docuseries and the NBA legend has enjoyed huge business success away from the basketball court, but he has not always been careful with money Shaquille O'Neal has enjoyed successful basketball and business careers (Image: Jamie Schwaberow/NBAE via Getty Images ) Shaquille O'Neal has built a sizable fortune since beginning his NBA career over three decades ago. The 53-year-old basketball icon was formidable on the court, and the center became a four-time NBA champion. He was named season MVP in 2000, a three-time NBA finals MVP and a 15-time All-Star. O'Neal enjoyed a Hall of Fame career and arguably found equal success away from the basketball court. The TNT analyst has numerous business ventures and was named Reebok's president of basketball in 2023. His work alongside NBA legend Allen Iverson to help improve the brand's reputation within the sport is the subject of a new Netflix docuseries, Power Moves with Shaquille O'Neal, which is released today. Netflix star The show details how Reebok, once synonymous with basketball in the early 2000s, had tasked O'Neal and Iverson with restoring the brand's standing within the sport. The latter was named Reebok's vice-president of basketball. It shows their search for Reebok's marquee name from the next generation, seemingly landing on WNBA rising star Angel Reese, who has previously described O'Neal as a 'father figure'. 'Shaq' was credited with making a significant difference at Reebok, before the Netflix show's release. "There's a powerful shift happening at Reebok right now, and Power Moves lets the world experience it with us," Reebok CEO Todd Krinsky said."This isn't just a comeback, it's a cultural movement, fueled by purpose, passion, and the kind of leadership that inspires real change. Jersey Legends saw that spark and knew this was the moment to capture. Article continues below "What Shaq, Allen, and our team are building is electric, and this series brings viewers inside the heart of it, as it happens." Shaquille O'Neal and Allen Iverson work together at Reebok (Image: Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images ) £370m fortune O'Neal was the NBA's highest-paid player for three seasons during his 19-year pro career. His salary reached as high as £20.3m ($27.6m) at the Miami Heat, with his career earnings totalling £215m ($292m). That figure does not include his various sponsorship and endorsement deals with the likes of Papa Johns and Pepsi. It is estimated that O'Neal has a net worth of £370m ($450m) through his NBA salaries, media work, endorsement deals, and business ventures. 'Shaq', an early investor in Google, has spoken about his preference for investing in established franchises. He purchased 155 Five Guys restaurants, owns 40 gyms and 150 car washes. Shaquille O'Neal won four NBA championships (Image: Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images ) No inheritance Despite his vast wealth, O'Neal doesn't plan to pass on his millions to his six children. At least, not without his family showing some initiative of their own. 'My kids are older now. They're kinda upset with me,' O'Neal said on the Earn Your Leisure podcast. 'Not really upset, but they don't understand. I tell them all the time. We ain't rich. I'm rich.' Explained his reasoning, he said: 'You gotta have bachelor's or master's [degrees], and then if you want me to invest in one of your companies, you're going to have to present it, boom boom boom, bring it to me. I'll let you know, I'm not giving you nothing. 'There's one rule: education. I don't care if you play basketball. I don't care about none of that. 'Listen, I got six kids. I would like a doctor, somebody to own a hedge fund, a pharmacist, a lawyer, someone that owns multiple businesses, someone to take over my business. But I tell them I'm not going to hand it to you. You gotta earn.' Shaquille O'Neal has previously spoken about his family not inheriting his wealth (Image:) Splashing $1.3m in a day O'Neal is eager to teach his kids the value of money, perhaps learning from his past mistakes. The NBA icon proved he could hold a grudge during his time as Kobe Bryant's team-mate at the LA Lakers. However, his willingness to prove a point once proved costly when he entered a car dealership. Arguably one of the most recognisable US sports stars, 'Shaq' has an enviable car collection and felt affronted when a salesperson asked if he could afford a Rolls-Royce. This led to him buying three cars on the same day for £1m ($1.3m), with car customisers West Coast Customs later installing a Superman logo on the grill of his Rolls-Royce Cullinan. "I don't wanna spend $400,000 for a car. So I'm like, 'Hey man how much is this? Nah. How much is this one?'' O'Neal recalled on the REVOLT podcast, as per the Daily Star. 'So finally the old guy says, 'Yo man, you asking about all these cars, can you afford them?' "Now I'm p*****. I said, 'What the f*** you just said to me?' So I buy three. That one, that one, and that one, and I want them dropped off. Move the seat back. So I got 3 Rolls-Royces that I never drive. So there goes another million." Content cannot be displayed without consent Walmart record In 2008, after signing for the Phoenix Suns, O'Neal was not up for wasting time waiting for his new home to be ready. Instead, he headed out to a 24/7 Walmart and spent $70k in one shopping trip, leading to concerned calls from his bank. "I have the biggest purchase in Walmart history,' Shaq said on The Late Late Show in 2018. "$70,000. I get traded from Miami to Phoenix, and I'm the type of guy [that] I have no patience. So when I get to Phoenix, they have an apartment for me. Nothing's in it. "Two or three in the morning, I gotta go get four or five TVs, I gotta go get printers, I gotta go get laptops. I gotta go get sheets, towels, underwear, t-shirts.' However, O'Neal got a shock when he reached the checkouts, as his credit card was declined, with his bank suspecting his card had been stolen.'I put it back in, and it said declined again. So now I'm saying, 'Well, I know I'm not broke.' Article continues below "So I just said 'alright, I'll be back' and then the American Express security called me [and he said] 'hey man, somebody stole your credit card and they spent $70,000 at Walmart'. "I said 'no that was me', [the security guard replied] 'what the hell are you buying for $70,000?'"
