Caitlin Clark’s impact on the WNBA is not just a storyline, it’s an economic revolution. The Indiana Fever star guard is already redefining what’s possible in women’s sports, and according to financial projections, she could help the league generate nearly $1 billion in total economic activity in 2025.
This projection comes from Ryan Brewer, an associate professor of finance at Indiana University Columbus and a well-known expert in sports valuation.
After conducting an in-depth analysis of the WNBA’s revenue streams including ticket sales, merchandise, television deals, and media exposure, Brewer concluded that Clark was responsible for an astonishing 26.5% of the league’s entire economic activity during her rookie season in 2024.
And now, with a longer season and more national broadcasts on the calendar, that impact is expected to grow even further.
“If things just go as they were, and we have an expanded season of 22 home games with modest inflation, I’m looking at $875 million. And I could easily see that eclipsing a billion dollars on the economic impact of Caitlin Clark this year.”
That billion-dollar milestone, while staggering, doesn’t seem far-fetched. Clark has already become a must-watch sensation, headlining 41 nationally televised games this season, more than any player or team in the WNBA.
Her jersey has been the league’s top seller on Fanatics, ranking among the top 20 of all athletes across every sport. Attendance for Fever games has skyrocketed, routinely drawing larger home crowds than the NBA’s Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Even road games featuring Clark are breaking barriers. According to StubHub, the ten best-selling WNBA games of the season all include the Fever, with ticket prices surging as much as 140% when she’s in town.
And during preseason, Clark’s first exhibition against the Brazil national team drew 1.3 million viewers, an unheard-of number for a women’s basketball game not even part of the regular season.
The Caitlin Clark Effect isn’t just anecdotal; it’s measurable. Retailers like Dick’s Sporting Goods reported a 233% increase in WNBA merchandise sales year-over-year. Fanatics saw a more than 500% growth in WNBA gear sold in 2024 alone.
Even the league’s media rights valuation is expected to skyrocket, with an 11-year deal projected to begin in 2026, an opportunity that’s being bolstered significantly by Clark’s popularity.
Yet despite all this economic value, Clark herself will earn just $78,000 in salary this season under the current WNBA collective bargaining agreement.
The overwhelming majority of her earnings, such as her reported $28 million Nike endorsement, come from off-court deals. That disparity is already fueling larger conversations about WNBA player compensation and revenue-sharing models.
In every way, Caitlin Clark is becoming the face of a league on the rise. Whether it’s breaking records on the court or shattering financial ceilings off it, her influence could very well lead the WNBA into an era where billion-dollar seasons aren’t a dream, they’re the new standard.
