The Indiana Fever are feeling the impact of star guard Caitlin Clark’s injury, as ticket prices for upcoming road games have fallen significantly. Clark, who is expected to miss at least two weeks and two away games, has been a major draw for the WNBA. Her absence reveals just how much influence she has on fan interest and ticket demand.
Over the next two weeks, the Fever will play two road games that have been moved to larger arenas by the host teams. Since Clark’s injury was announced Monday, ticket prices for both games have dropped sharply.
For the May 22 game against the Washington Mystics at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, the lowest ticket price has fallen 47%, from $41 to $22, according to TickPick. CFG Bank Arena can seat about 14,000 fans, much larger than the Mystics’ usual home venue, CareFirst Arena, which holds around 4,000. Despite the price drop, a Mystics spokesperson told Front Office Sports that there are no plans to adjust ticket pricing.
The Fever’s June 7 game against the Chicago Sky at the United Center in Chicago has seen an even steeper decline. Ticket prices dropped 71%, from $86 to $25. The United Center, home to the NBA’s Bulls, seats nearly 21,000—double the capacity of the Sky’s usual home, Wintrust Arena, which holds about 10,400.
Clark has not missed any WNBA regular-season games since entering the league and played in every college game at Iowa. However, her recovery time could extend beyond the initial two weeks. The Fever’s next game after this period is June 10 against the Atlanta Dream. For the five Fever games leading up to that date—including two home games—average ticket prices have dropped to $80 from $137 prior to the injury announcement.
Interestingly, the get-in price for the June 10 game against the Dream remains high at $147. This game will be at the Dream’s Gateway Center Arena, which has the smallest capacity in the WNBA at 3,500 seats.
Following the initial two-week absence, the Fever still face five more road games in June. Each of those games maintains a ticket price above $100 on TickPick. Notable matchups include the Fever’s first game at the Chase Center against the Golden State Valkyries on June 19, and the highly anticipated first meeting between Clark and Paige Bueckers, who plays for the Dallas Wings, on June 27.
