The Indiana Fever were one of the hottest tickets in sports this year.
The "Caitlin Clark Effect" was on full display, with fans packing Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the opportunity get a glimpse of the Iowa star as she turned pro. The Fever had a staggering 17,036 ticket sales per game, shattering the WNBA's attendance record for a single team in a season.
When the Fever were on the road, the team still attracted hundreds of spectators. The Fever packed opposing stadiums as well, forcing teams like the Washington Mystics to move its contests with Indiana to nearby arenas with higher capacities. When the Fever were on the court, the fans followed in droves.
WNBA ratings were also sky-high, and the Fever took the cake in that category as well. WNBA games attracted a record 54 million unique viewers across the six platforms that aired league games (ABC, CBS, ESPN, ESPN2, ION, and NBA TV). The Fever participated in each network's highest-viewed game of the season, playing a large role in the unprecedented ratings bump that the WNBA received.
But WNBA ratings are not what WNBA fans should be worrying about
The NBA Christmas Day games seemed to confirm a theory that has been discussed about the NBA for the past few years: The league is far less popular than it was just a decade ago.
Some of this has to do with aging stars. LeBron James turns 40 at the end of December. Stephen Curry has begun to talk about how much is left in the tank. Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, and Kyrie Irving are among the remaining stars from a generation of revolutionary talent that the league had not seen since the 1990s.
Some of the league's decline has to do with the style of play. Some fans, and players, have pointed to the three-point shot as the culprit. LeBron agreed when asked about the state of the All-Star game, and the league in general.
“It's not just about the All-Star Game. It's about our game in general,” he said. “Too many damn threes are being launched.”
No matter what the reason, NBA ratings are much lower than in years past. Why should the WNBA be worried?
The NBA subsidizes the W, and the WNBA is yet to record a profitable year in its history. This past season was a great start, as the league lost a considerable amount less than normal. The league's growth will slowly affect that number and lead to a profitable product in due time.
But how much time does the league have? How long until the NBA can no longer foot the bill?
More than likely, the NBA will climb out of this rut. Commissioners David Stern and Adam Silver have ushered in unprecedented success and have grown the NBA into a worldwide brand. But while the NBA struggles, the WNBA should be concerned about how it can stay alive-- should the hypothetical catastrophic collapse occur.
The WNBA needs to capitalize on the Indiana Fever, and they need to do it now.
There are already talks that the Fever will be marketed as "America's Team." Rumors of overseas action are swirling, and the league is slated to have even more nationally-televised games in 2025. The more attention the Fever get, the more eyeballs will be attracted to the league.
Caitlin Clark is a generational talent. But, as most celebrities often find, fame is unpredictable. If Clark is the only marketable product, fans will get tired. Their attention will move elsewhere.
If the WNBA can effectively market Clark, and then use those same efforts to uplift the rest of the amazing players in this league, the WNBA can stop thinking about survival-- and start thinking about prominence.