It's almost a foregone conclusion that the Indiana Fever will draft Iowa guard Caitlin Clark with the No.1 overall pick during Monday's WNBA Draft.
After four years of NCAA Basketball with the Iowa Hawkeyes, the transcendent star Caitlin Clark, who just recently took her team to a National Championship game, will now take her talents to the next level in the WNBA.
Despite her great play at Iowa, the question on everyone's mind is will Caitlin Clark thrive in the WNBA as she did in the NCAA?
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Caitlin Clark Transitioning to WNBA Talent
Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi spoke up on what Clark should expect in the WNBA.
"It's a different game, and there's an adjustment period and a period of grace that you have to give rookies when they get to the league," Taurasi said at USA Basketball training camp in Cleveland.
"We've had some of the greats to ever play basketball, and it takes two or three years to get used to a different game (against) the best players in the world," she added.
It's likely that Caitlin Clark would have to adjust to seeing tougher defensive schemes and that her defensive capabilities wouldn't be masked like they were during her time at Iowa.
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Caitlin Clark Mania Running Wild in the WNBA Already
Caitlin Clark's effect on the WNBA can already be felt without even playing a game yet.
36 out of the 40 Indiana Fever regular season games will be broadcasted nationally.
The Indiana Fever have also seen a massive uptick in ticket sales. Last season, they were ranked second to last in home attendance (averaging only 4,067 fans).
ESPN reported that the team is responding to the surge of interest by pre-selling single-game tickets at two games per day over the following 15 days starting on Monday.
ESPN also reported that the Indiana Fever have almost sold out their matchups against the Seattle Storm and the Dallas Wings at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where the Indiana Pacers and Fever play their home games.
Vivid Seats also told ESPN that tickets for their season opener on May 14th against the Connecticut Sun have increased by 91% since Caitlin Clark declared for the 2024 WNBA Draft.
According to a team spokesman via ESPN, the Las Vegas Aces moved their July 2nd matchup against the Indiana Fever from Michelob Ultra Arena to the larger T-Mobile Arena due to high demand.
Front Office Sports also reported that Caitlin Clark's road games are pricier than other teams', with some tickets costing upwards of $100.
It's clear that the WNBA is cashing in big time on Caitlin Clark's hype ahead of the 2024 WNBA season opener on May 14th.
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