Caitlin Clark didn’t win Saturday afternoon, but her outing at Barclays Center set a new WNBA earnings record.
The New York Liberty earned more than $2 million in ticket revenue from their 91-80 victory over the Indiana Fever on Saturday, according to The Associated Press. It is an all-time record for the league in a single game.
The game was sold out, meaning more than 17,000 fans came out to watch the game. It was the third sold-out game Clark has played in so far this season, after they sold out their home opener and then played in front of a sold-out crowd in Connecticut for their season opener.
“That’s unbelievable,” Liberty star Breanna Stewart said of the ticket revenue, via The Associated Press. “I think the enthusiasm and eyes that Caitlin has brought from Iowa now to the WNBA is a collective win for everyone… When I started in the league, the teams weren’t generating revenue… It’s been a long time coming. “I’m happy to be at this point, but not satisfied.”
Several big names also attended the game, including Billie Jean King, Michell Wie West, Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager.
Clark, who was taken No. 1 overall in the WNBA Draft earlier this month, has been breaking viewership records almost constantly. She scored three in a row during the Hawkeyes’ run to the national championship game, where they drew more than 18.7 million viewers in their loss to South Carolina. That was the most-watched basketball game at any level, men’s or women’s, since 2019. The WNBA Draft then attracted nearly 2.5 million viewers, breaking its previous record of around 600,000.
Then, Clark’s WNBA debut drew about 2.1 million viewers earlier this month, making it the most-watched WNBA game on ESPN and ABC in history and the WNBA game most viewed anywhere since 2001.
Although the Fever lost their third straight game on Saturday, Clark had her best game yet. He scored 22 points and eight assists and six rebounds in Brooklyn while shooting 9 of 17 from the field. She is now one of four players to record at least 50 points and 15 assists in the first three games of her WNBA career, along with other league greats such as Candace Parker, Sue Bird and Nikki McCray.
Clark and the Fever will host the Sun next Monday night, where they will have a chance to get their first win of the year. Based on how things have gone so far, expect another sold-out crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
