College basketball’s biggest individual rivalry has generated an even bigger following in the WNBA. And the third Angel Reese-Caitlin Clark professional matchup will have the most expensive tickets in WNBA history.
According to the website TIC TacThe average purchase price of a single ticket for Sunday’s Indiana Fever versus Chicago Sky game is $291.
The cheapest tickets available are $208, at the top of the nosebleeds, and the cheapest ticket in the lower bowl is $260.
In both of Fever-Sky’s previous matchups, Clark has been at the center of controversy with an opposing player, the last time being Reese herself.
On June 1, Clark was body-searched by Reese’s teammate Chennedy Carter in a move that fans called out of basketball good faith.
Caitlin Clark has been at the forefront of the rise in popularity of women’s basketball.
Reese, Clark’s main rival, has contributed to the rise of the sport, despite her bombastic nature.
Carter declined to answer questions about the matter in a postgame press conference, but doubled down online, saying “besides three-point shooting, what does she bring to the table, man?” in Threads.
Last Sunday, Reese committed a flagrant foul against Clark when the former LSU star missed a block attempt and hit Clark in the head with his arm, sending his rival to the ground in pain.
Reese also badmouthed Clark and his team to the press, stating that they had a “special whistle.”
The two previous matchups between Sky and Fever this season took place in Indianapolis and were won by the Fever.
Now, it will be Reese’s first time playing against Clark as a professional on his home court. A raucous, sold-out crowd is expected at Wintrust Arena, meeting the demand for ticket prices.
“I saw the ticket prices, I guess the only thing that surprises me is that we’re not playing at the United Center,” Clark said Friday night after a win over the Atlanta Dream.
Clark later admitted that he didn’t know that rapper Russ has a show scheduled for the night at the home of the Chicago Bulls.
“I thought it would have been really good for the game and for all the women’s basketball fans in Chicago,” Clark continued. “Maybe there’s some kind of conflict that I’m not aware of; obviously, that’s a little above my pay grade.”
The United Center has capacity for nearly 21,000 fans, while Wintrust Arena, site of Sunday’s game, has less than half that, 10,000.
The Fever come into Sunday’s matchup having won four straight games. The matchup against the Sky is the start of a four-game road trip for Indiana.
