There is plenty of evidence that supports the “Caitlin Clark effect,” but the average ticket price for the Indiana Fever star’s return to Iowa City is one of the most stunning examples yet.
The insatiable demand to see the former Iowa Hawkeyes guard play at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday has caused tickets for a WNBA preseason game to hit the most expensive price of any game in Clark’s career — collegiate or professional — per Front Office Sports.
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Clark’s final regular season home game at Iowa ($411), the game she set the women’s NCAA all-time scoring record ($309) and the game at which her No. 22 jersey was retired this year ($289) all fell short of the cost of admission for Friday’s game against the Brazil national team in Iowa City.
Iowa guard Caitlin Clark smiles during a NCAA Big Ten Conference women’s basketball game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in 2023.Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The 15,000 available seats at Carver-Hawkeye Arena for the Fever vs. Brazil sold out within 45 minutes, driving up ticket prices on the secondary resale market.
As of noon on Thursday, the cheapest individual resale tickets available on StubHub were listed at $153, with sets of two starting at $183 each.
On the other end of the spectrum, high-end tickets can run you upwards of $1,750, leading to a record-setting average ticket price of $440 before fees, according to data from Victory Live cited by FOS.
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In-person demand to watch Clark’s games with the Fever this season has led multiple WNBA teams to make business decisions. The Atlanta Dream, Connecticut Sun, Dallas Wings, Las Vegas Aces, Washington Mystics and Chicago Sky have all moved home games against Indiana to larger venues to accommodate more fans.
The average ticket resale price for Fever away games right now is $272, a jump of $101 from 2024, according to Victory Live. The price of Indiana’s home games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse are also up by more than double from last season, reaching $197 on the secondary market after a home average of $92 in 2024.
Ticket prices are not the only way that the marquee preseason game will make women’s basketball history on Sunday. The game is set to air on ESPN (specific network to be confirmed) at 4 p.m. ET, making it the first WNBA preseason game to air on the legacy sports network.
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The Fever will play 41 of their 44 regular season games on national television in 2025, starting with a rivalry matchup against Angel Reese and the Sky on May 17 on ABC.
Related: Iowa Coach Reveals Exciting Offer From Caitlin Clark
Related: Fans Issue Angel Reese Demand Ahead of Chicago Sky Game at LSU
