Caitlin Clark Nearly Got Indiana Fever in Trouble for Unbelievable Reason
Caitlin Clark Nearly Got Indiana Fever in Trouble for Unbelievable Reason originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Few would argue that Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark is the most popular and marketable star in the WNBA right now.
Advertisement
Clark's fame has grown so much since the Fever drafted her No. 1 overall in 2024 that she's seemingly setting ratings records every time she steps on the court.
The Fever's 93-58 season-opening win over the Chicago Sky on May 17 drew an average of 2.7 million viewers and peaked with 3.1 million viewers on ABC, making it the most-watched WNBA regular-season game on the network and overall in the last 25 years.
Last season, Clark played in the most-watched regular-season game of the season (vs. the Sky on June 3, 3.3 million viewers), he most-viewed WNBA game on any ESPN platform (vs. the Connecticut Sun on May 20, 2.97 million viewers), and the most-watched WNBA All-Star Game ever (3.44 million viewers).
But viewership wasn't the only area Clark dominated.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark reacts to a call in the second half against the Washington Mystics at Entertainment & Sports Arena.Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images
The WNBA Rookie of the Year had the best-selling jersey in the WNBA and the second-highest selling jersey across professional basketball behind only Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry, according to Fanatics.
Advertisement
In fact the Fever sold so much Clark gear that the team store was actually looked into for its crazy Clark-related sales boom, according to Indiana-based journalist Travonne Edwards
'The quota has been reached in the team store to the point where they got audited,' Edwards said during an appearance on "The Right Time with Bomani Jones.'
'They sold so much [Caitlin Clark] gear that people thought it wasn't legit?' Jones asked.
'…There's a shoe that's supposed to come out — a Kobe 5 with her colorway — it's on the internet for $5,000 right now. You know how you've been to the big school, like JJ Redick played for Duke, and he gets to Orlando and that motion don't follow — this followed.'
Fortunately for the Fever, their bookkeeping was in order and the sales spike made sense once the final merchandise numbers were out.
Advertisement
Clark's home Fever jersey sold out less than an hour after being drafted last year, making her the highest-selling WNBA draft pick ever.
Fanatics also reported that WNBA merchandise sales were up over 1,000% year-over-year thanks to Clark, Sky star Angel Reese, New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu, and Clark's Iowa teammate Kate Martin, who played her rookie season for the Las Vegas Aces and is currently with the expansion Golden State Valkyries.
They ranked No. 1, 2, 3, and 4 in merchandise sales, respectively.
Related: It Took Caitlin Clark's Replacement Just 1 Game to Move Into Top 10 In This One Stat
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox Sports
22 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Brumbies' Super Rugby playoff journey continues: Can they break the New Zealand hoodoo?
Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The ACT Brumbies will become the latest Australian team to take on the New Zealand playoff hoodoo in Super Rugby after beating the Wellington-based Hurricanes in Canberra. The record for Australian teams in playoff matches in New Zealand now stands at 0-20 after the Queensland Reds were beaten 32-12 by the Crusaders in Christchurch. The Brumbies will face the Chiefs in Hamilton in next weekend's semifinals after the Chiefs were beaten 20-19 by the Auckland-based Blues who scored and converted a try after the fulltime siren. The Chiefs still progressed to the next playoff round as the highest-ranked loser but have lost top seeding to the Crusaders. The match between the Brumbies and Hurricanes might have been a dead rubber if the Crusaders and Chiefs, the top-two seeds, both had won their playoff matches. Then, both teams in Canberra would have progressed to the semifinals either as the winner or highest-ranked loser. The Hurricanes title hopes have now foundered in Canberra in three of the last four years after they lost to the Brumbies in quarterfinals in 2022 and 2023. 'We didn't get the job done tonight. That Brumbies team really took it up a notch and showed why they've been so successful here,' Hurricanes captain DuPlessis Kirifi said. The Brumbies again are the last Australian team standing in the playoffs after reaching the semifinals for the third straight time. 'We're just looking at the Chiefs in Hamilton next week,' coach Stephen Larkham said. 'But we're hoping that the Blues can knock off the Crusaders and we come back here in two weeks for a grand final.' Crusaders beat the chill Brute force and home advantage were key factors in the Crusaders' win over the Reds. The Reds had to come from 23 degrees and fine weather in Brisbane to 4 degrees and a rain-soaked pitch in Christchurch. While they anticipated the conditions and tried to replicate them in training, they couldn't fully prepare for a match played in conditions in which the Crusaders excel. 'Typical Christchurch weather: cold, wet and dark and we love it,' said Crusaders scrumhalf Noah Hotham whose brilliant second half try spelled the end of the Reds' hopes and improved the Crusaders winning record in home playoffs to 30-0. The Reds couldn't match the power of the Crusaders' scrum and conceded penalties which gave the Crusaders a footing in Reds territory. At the same time, the Reds took too long to match the Crusaders' numbers at breakdowns. Captain David Havili was a force in the collision area which the Crusaders also dominated. 'They were all over us at the breakdown and collision area and we just couldn't get into our cycle,' Reds captain Tate McDermott said. 'They're really good at disrupting your ball and slowing it down and they did a good job of that.' Hotham may have helped his All Blacks chances with a strong individual performance behind a dominant pack. Blues beat the odds As Rieko Ioane faced the television cameras after the Blues beat the New South Wales Waratahs to qualify for the Super Rugby playoffs, the Blues and All Blacks center said 'as the saying goes, shouldn't have let us get one.' It was a nod to history. In 2004 the Boston Red Sox came from 3-0 down to beat the New York Yankees and win their first World Series in 86 years. At 3-0 down Sox outfielder Kevin Millar said 'don't let us get one.' And in the 2023 NBA Eastern Conference finals, the Boston Celtics were 3-0 down against the Miami Heat. 'Don't let us get one,' Celtics player Jaylen Brown said before his team rallied to force game seven. From Ioane, it was prophetic. After 'getting one' by making the playoffs in sixth place, the Blues have now stretched their defense of the Super Rugby title into the semifinals. The Chiefs were favored to win Saturday after beating the Blues twice during the regular season. But the Blues kept their season alive with a converted try after the fulltime siren. ___ AP rugby: recommended
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Wings Announce Paige Bueckers Update Before Game vs. Lynx
Wings Announce Paige Bueckers Update Before Game vs. Lynx originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Dallas Wings have been struggling to find any momentum to begin the 2025 WNBA season. With a record of 1-8, the Wings have dropped four straight games as they head into their third game against the undefeated Minnesota Lynx. Advertisement 2025 No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers has been struggling to stay healthy recently as she's battled a concussion as well as an illness, resulting in her not playing for the Wings since their May 29 game against the Chicago Sky. Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5).Jerome Miron-Imagn Images As the Wings look to find their first win since May 27, the team has received some positive news on the rookie guard before they take on the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday. Paige Bueckers has been listed as probable after missing the last three games, battling back from concussion protocol, the Dallas Wings' PR team announced on X. Although the Wings haven't found a consistent answer to winning games, Bueckers' absence has been crucial, as the Dallas guard is leading the team in assists, steals, and blocks and is the team's second leading scorer so far this season. Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5). David Butler II-Imagn Images Her stat line through six games in 2025 include 14.7 points, 6.7 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 2.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks. Advertisement Bueckers was the No. 1 overall selection in the 2025 WNBA Draft out of the University of Connecticut. She is definitely not used to losing as much as the Wings have to start the 2025 season, as Bueckers helped her Connecticut Huskies win the 2025 NCAA Women's National Championship in April. Although nothing is certain, her odds of joining the Wings' lineup on Sunday are heading in a positive direction. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Angel Reese's Aunt Reacts to Her Exciting Debut
Angel Reese's Aunt Reacts to Her Exciting Debut originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Chicago Sky star Angel Reese has picked up right where she left off in her rookie season, dominating the boards. Through the first five games of the 2025 WNBA season, she leads the league in rebounds per game with 13.0. The 2024 No. 7 overall pick is also averaging 9.2 points and 2.8 assists per game. Advertisement Meanwhile, on Thursday afternoon, Reebok announced that Reese's signature shoe, the Engine A "Pretty Gritty," will be available for purchase by the public on June 4. The new colorway is a Black Cherry and Pink Blast color scheme. The brand posted a picture of Reese with the new shoes and captioned it: "Angel's edition of Engine A: 'Pretty Gritty' available 6/4." The Sky took on the Dallas Wings on Thursday night at home, and to promote the new colorway, Reese wore the shoe during the game for the first time. Despite Reese finishing with fewer than 10 rebounds for the first time all season (nine), the Sky picked up their first win of the year, a 97-92 victory, to improve their record to 1-5. Advertisement On Friday afternoon, Reese's aunt, Kristi Webb, took to social media to react to the new colorway. "🔥🔥🔥," Webb captioned her post on her Instagram story. Angel Reese's aunt posted on Instagram.@1977kristilee/Instagram Reese had worn the Reebok Engine A's in a game before Thursday night, debuting the shoe in the latter stages of last season. She first wore them on August 30 against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever, a game the Sky lost 100-81. The shoe is Reebok's first on-court performance basketball sneaker since the early 2010s. Related: Angel Reese's Aunt Has a Strong Question for Caitlin Clark Related: Angel Reese's Aunt Sends Clear Message to WNBA Commissioner Amid Caitlin Clark Drama This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
