INDIANAPOLIS — Of course, the final game of the regular season for the Indiana Fever Thursday night at Capital One Arena had to be the largest crowd in the league’s history.
It suitably capped off an extraordinary sprout for not only Caitlin Clark, but the Fever, the league, and the sport of women’s basketball. The Fever’s 2024 attendance was 643,343.
For comparison, the next-highest was the New York Liberty this season with 434,993 fans, which includes at home and on the road. So does the Fever total written above. And there’s more: out of the 11 other teams in the league, nine of their franchise’s most-attended home games this season have involved the Fever. Those nine games add up to 138,486 fans total.
In 2023, the Las Vegas Aces led the league in overall attendance with 343,663 fans (the Fever landed 10th). So, by taking the nine games this season that the Fever played on the road and assisted the most attendance for other teams, that accounts for 40.30% of the Aces’ total 2023 attendance. And they won the WNBA Finals. Only nine games — out of 40. That’s remarkable.
The exemptions are the New York Liberty and the Connecticut Sun. The Liberty’s most-attended home game this season was versus the Chicago Sky, as 17,758 fans flocked to Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The Fever, of course, were second with 17,735 fans in the May contest to open the season. That’s just 23 fans shy and if added, it would be 45.46% of the Aces crowd — not 40%.
The Sun, however, are on an island. The Fever were Connecticut’s most-attended home games at the time in May and June, but they were tied with five other teams, due to the static 8,910 in Mohegan Sun Arena. Back in August, the Sun upped the venue to Boston’s TD Garden, where the Celtics play. More than 19,000 people showed up to see the Sun beat the Los Angeles Sparks.
It’s the 19th most-attended matchup in league history within the regular season.
The 20th is the Fever this season out in Los Angeles. Okay, okay, so yes the Fever can’t seize credit for the Sun’s historic home crowd by the thousands. But it’s promising to witness. Suitable matchups being moved to bigger venues is paramount for the WNBA. It should be maintained. Many opponents did so when the Fever pulled into town: the Aces, the Dream and the Mystics.
The Aces playing in T-Mobile Arena paved the way for about 10,000 more people, and that’s pretty identical to the Sun going to the Garden. The Atlanta Dream going to State Farm Arena only two times — when the Fever played South — allowed for about an additional 13,000. The Mystics going to Capital One added anywhere from 6,000 to 16,000 people, as seen Thursday.
The stock and demand for women’s basketball is soaring.
But bigger venues don’t automatically mean increase, what else?
The 2024 WNBA has returned to attendance levels not witnessed since the beginning of the 2000s. This season, with all the entertainment, drama, and talent, hasn’t even raked in the largest crowds total. That belongs to the 2002 WNBA season, with 2,364,736 in the seats. The single-game high was 19,766. This year doesn’t trail much: 2,353,755 and 20,711, respectively.
Totals can be deceiving, because the number of games played varies per season.
Here’s the list of average attendance by year and where it ranks. Look at 2024, and where 2023 plummets.
1. 1998: 10,868.73
2. 1999: 10,205.07
3. 2024: 9,807.31
5. 2002: 9,237.25
24. 2023: 6,614.53
The Fever hold the all-time season average with 16,083.58, surpassing the 1998 Liberty (13,398.07).
Teams last season did play in big arenas, such as T-Mobile, Capital One, Crypto, as well as Footprint and Barclays Center. But those matchups didn’t spike nearly as steep as games this season. The second-most attended game last season was the Fever at the Mystics in Capital One, which brought 14,406 people in. The most-attended matchup barely surpassed 17,000.
That wasn’t poor by any means, but that was back then.
Thirty-three matchups this season have eclipsed 17,000 fans. The Fever have played in 29.
“I think I’m a part of history,” seven-year veteran Kelsey Mitchell said in Washington in June. “I’ll take it… it’s a good thing for women’s basketball. I’m playing alongside this kid (Clark), so it makes everything a little bit more dramatic, and the people are coming out to see this person.”
“Our organization can feed off of it, the state of Indiana,” Mitchell added.
Caitlin Clark, Fever attendance records in 2024, compared to 2023
There’s zero debate Caitlin Clark isn’t the sole reason for the viewership cannonade in the WNBA. When the 2024 NCAA National Championship between Clark’s Iowa squad and unbeaten South Carolina peaked at 24.1 million viewers, it was the prelude of what was to come for the league. Sixteen of the Fever’s 20 home games this season have been sellouts, or an automatic 17,274.
“The WNBA in general and where the attendance is, it’s just night and day,” Fever head coach Christie Sides said. “The atmosphere is incredible. Sellout crowds every night, including the preseason games. I mean, it’s just been like that from day one for us. I think that’s another way that we’re preparing for the playoffs and what that’s going to feel like for us.”
Clark’s stardom and fandom, going back to her Iowa days, has peeled back the exceptional talent in the WNBA to casual and brand new viewers. The whole rookie class has, including Angel Reese, Kamilla Cardoso, Cameron Brink, Rickea Jackson and more. They delivered the intrigue for 2024, which led to the record 2.45 million viewers on Draft Day. It’s poured outward.
And 3.44 million watched the WNBA All-Star Game, which shattered the viewership record for the festivity itself, and most other events in the league’s history. Obviously, Clark and Reese did participate. But so did plenty of other veterans, and their talent was showcased. And now this delves into television ratings, which Clark has dominated as well, besides the in-person crowds.
Six networks set viewership records in games that Clark has played in.
In the 23 games to have 1 million-plus viewers, Clark and the Fever have played in 20. Prior to this season, no WNBA game had averaged seven-figure audiences since 2008.
The Fever’s 340,715 home attendance shattered the 2002 Mystics by about 81,000. Their peak decibels this season had to have occurred back in July, in the win over the Liberty and near the end of August, in the win over the Sun. Both prevented season-sweeps and are the peaks of this turnaround season. Now, the Fever must beat the Sun once to turn the tides of the playoffs.
They play at Connecticut Sunday afternoon in Game 1 and Wednesday night in the best-of-three series.
Game 3 would be Friday in Indianapolis, definitely sold out, and surely raucous.
“They come no matter what time the game is,” Aliyah Boston said. “We use that.”
Indiana’s 340,715 only-home attendance is on par — single sellout shy to be more precise — with the franchise’s total attendance in 2022 and 2023 combined. Oh, and six of the top seven teams in all-time total attendance emerged this season: the Fever (643,343), Liberty (434,993), Aces (425,196), Sparks (422,394), Seattle Storm (407,512) and the Phoenix Mercury (403,538).
“Shoutout Caitlin,” NaLyssa Smith said Thursday about the record-breaking 20,711 crowd. And three more expansion teams are on the way.
More places for Clark to sign autographs, which she always makes time to do courtside.
