Clarkonomics is Very Real and the ‘W’ is Now Figuring it Out!
The Indiana Fever at Atlanta Dream on August 26, 2024.
Clarkonomics
August 26, 2024 | Atlanta, GA
The saying goes “one picture is worth a thousand words” (see photo above). Having attended the Indiana Fever @ Atlanta Dream game (won by Indiana) on August 26, 2024, I got to see the single most economically powerful force currently operating in women’s basketball. Clarkonomics (a term coined and often used by television broadcaster Debbie Antonelli) was by my math worth over a million dollars this year for the Atlanta Dream’s bottom line. Obviously, the Fever’s Caitlin Clark drives the engine, but it is her legion of fans (which I will refer to as The Clarkees) who ring the cash register to see her play live and online.
Generally, Atlanta plays all home games at the Gateway Center Arena (3,500 seating) near Atlanta’s Airport. In an intelligent business move and in the interest of the demand of the fans, they moved the two Fever home games to State Farm Arena (Downtown Atlanta) where a total of over 35,000 attended (according to announced figures) for a seven-figure addition in revenue. The Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have also benefitted from Clarkonomics with moves to larger venues for Fever games.
So, who are The Clarkees?
Arriving early for the contest, I walked the Downtown Atlanta streets around State Farm Arena and nearby Centennial Olympic Park on the lookout for individuals dressed in Fever jerseys, particularly ones with Clark’s #22 on it. As an old timer, sometimes I had to chase after these people as they initially thought I was a local panhandler about to ask for money. Once I allayed the fears of these suspected Clarkees (followers of Caitlin Clark), information poured forth. I also spoke to several after the game probably totaling close to two dozen (did not keep a specific tally).
All Clarkees I saw outside or in the arena were similar demographically. None that I interviewed were from Indiana with only a few either visiting from Iowa (Clark’s home state) or having moved to the area from Iowa. The majority were from Georgia or a contiguous state (some came quite a distance!). Ages ranged from young children to senior citizens. Obviously, all admired Clark as a basketball player but there were definite differences withing the Clarkee fold that broke down as follows.
Group 1 – Previously Assimilated
These people were wearing the Clark jersey but were previously solid WNBA fans prior to this season and most likely would be following the league with or without Clark. So perhaps, by definition, not Clarkees (those Clark brought to the WNBA).
Group 2 – The Converted
These are new fans who came to the WNBA this season because of Caitlin Clark but have found they enjoy the overall product and like Group 1, are likely to be fans of the league going forward. WNBA owners please applaud!
Group 3 – The Nibblers
These came to the WNBA along with Clark and are starting to discover other players they enjoy watching. Still, they are not yet full-fledged WNBA fans like Group 2.
Group 4 – Nobody but Clark
These are fans who came with Clark, but as of now say they would not watch any W action unless their Caitlin is playing. Some were more emphatic in stating this than others.
It is hard to break down the percentage of Clarkees in each grouping from such limited polling. The Group 3’s may be turning more into Group 2’s as the season progresses toward the playoffs. In time, hopefully at least some of the Group 4’s will come to enjoy watching other players besides Clark. With Clark a rookie, time is on the WNBA’s side so long as Clark is healthy and playing.
As a phenomenon totally new to women’s basketball, this is unchartered territory as to long term effects. Will the Clarkees still be around in massive numbers in 2025 and 2026? In the years ahead, will they still be willing to pay over $1000 to get a prime seat to watch their favorite player as at least a few fanatics have done in the last year?
Tracing the roots of Clark’s rise in popularity and then looking at some WBA ratings with and without Clark playing…
Those of us who follow the sport knew Clark was one of the best in her 2020 high school class. ESPNW rankings of her senior year put her No. 4 behind Paige Bueckers (now of Connecticut with a good chance to be the #1 pick in 2025), Angel Reese (now with the Chicago Sky) and Cameron Brink (now with the Los Angeles Sparks). In back-to-back years, Clark carried her Iowa team to the national final with superstar performances almost nightly. Clark’s loss to Reese in the NCAA playoffs in 2023 and revenge win in 2024 helped form the basis of a rivalry which has enhanced WNBA ratings.
Top five most watched WNBA games in 2024 (through August 25) according to information online:
June 23 Indiana Fever @ Chicago Sky (ESPN) 2.302 million
June 16 Chicago Sky @ Indiana Fever (CBS) 2.25 million
August 18 Seattle Storm @ Indiana Fever (ABC) 2.232 million
May 14 Indiana Fever @ Connecticut Sun (ESPN2) 2.12 million
June 30 Indiana Fever @ Phoenix Mercury (ESPN) 1.93 million
Of the 26 most watched games in WNBA 2024, Indiana played in 21 (including the top 13 most watched), Chicago Sky played in four (three vs Indiana). Most watched game not involving Indiana or Chicago was on May 18 with Los Angeles Sparks @ Las Vegas Aces (ABC) 1.34 million. Do notice how many networks have broadcast WNBA games this year. Add in cable channel ION, Amazon Prime and NBA TV attesting to the growth of the game!
It is obvious that fans value a perceived rivalry (Clark versus Reese) as two of their pro matchups topped the list. While it has widely been reported WNBA ratings are up in general, these figures support the position that a large portion of the Clarkees are only watching games their favorite plays in.
One of my contacts heard one former WNBA player say the league should have paid Caitlin Clark $5,000,000 to join the league. In retrospect, that figure might be undervaluing her marketing value!
Re-visiting the Olympic snub…
In June, I wrote an article (HERE) weighing the pros and cons of Clark’s Olympic snub. At the time, I leaned to USA Basketball getting it right with her omission but in retrospect Clark’s dynamic offense could have helped.
Olympic ratings were solid (final versus France 7.8 million peaking at 10.9 million in the last half hour on NBC/Peacock). Even so, NBC probably would have done even better with a Clark presence. For USA Basketball, they got the Olympic Gold which it saw as its mission. Clark did get a well needed rest and with good health will be a fixture on future national teams. Time to move past this controversy!
Does the Indiana Fever play road games?
If the crowd at State Farm Arena is any indication, a lot fewer than any other team in the league thanks to The Clarkees! Sitting in the media area above the lower bowl (where the above photo was taken from), it appeared Fever scoring (even by players other than Clark) received louder cheers than positive Dream plays.
Caitlin Clark got her own pre-game press conference. Unlike other players, there was no on court access to her pre-game.
In my pre-pandemic years of covering the league, I never heard of this. Some WNBA players may continue to resent the star treatment Clark gets as a rookie. They need to get over it and realize her presence has massively increased the visibility of the league which should soon lead to higher salaries for all the players in the W. As the saying goes, “a rising tide lifts all boats.”
From one perspective, five reasons Indiana has improved over earlier in the season…
1. Coming off injury and a sluggish start, Kelsey Mitchell is now playing at All-Star level.
2. Clark is more experienced and better rested post-Olympics.
3. Aliyah Boston appears to be in better playing shape.
4. The fortuitous absence of an unproductive Katie Lou Samuelson with some stepping up by Lexie Hull.
5. Bench contributions from Temi Fagbenle and Damiris Dantis which were absent earlier in the year combined with a smaller rotation of players.
Dream making progress on court and in the stands
Toward the end of the regular season, I plan to attend a Dream home game at Gateway and will have more to say about the team after that. However, one must commend the on-court competitiveness of the Dream given they have lost key starters for significant stretches of the season. In this game at State Farm, they played without sometimes starter Cheyenne Parker-Tyus. Continuity is one key to winning and with one significant injury after another, that has been a hard ask for Atlanta.
As for attendance, at Gateway (3,500 capacity) it appears improved (still like to see more) over the many years at State Farm (then Philips Arena) where crowds were regularly announced [tickets given out and not used] as significantly higher than actual attendance. Some games I was present at seemed like attendance was under 1,000 (I called it modified emptiness.) but certainly below the 3,500 mark.
Shifting gears: growth means changes on the horizon
Do not get too attached to your favorite WNBA players if you are a strong supporter of any one team in the league! The players are going to opt of out the current CBA (collective bargaining agreement) before the 2026 season with most veterans (not certain about rookies) becoming free agents. Exactly what the rules will be are going to be dictated by negotiation. Everyone will want to get a bigger piece of the enlarged financial pie that the new CBA will bring. Those significantly higher salaries might just be with another team in another city again depending on what rules of transfer are written into the new CBA.
The large disconnect between the pro and prep ranks continues the women’s side.
The NBA is intimately involved with scouting players in high school as several of its future players will not finish or even start college opting to go into a pre-NBA pro development league instead. NBA scouts are annually all over the McDonald’s All-American Game practices.
Conversely, WNBA scouts/executives avoid the McDonald’s game and often know little about future stars currently in the prep ranks. The current WNBA CBA does not allow domestic players to be drafted before the prospect’s graduating class has advanced four years beyond high school. Exceptions are the player in question has turned 22 years old in age in the year of the draft or graduated college in less than four years. Foreigners can enter the ‘W’ at a younger age. While these rules may seem unfair, this is what the players’ union agreed to and courts have backed this as legal.