Off the court, the two remain rivals in their battle. Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark are still leaving their imprint on the WNBA and women’s basketball.
Since being selected in the first round by the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky, respectively, the two have excelled on the court. Their popularity has also been shown off the court in terms of jersey sales.
Caitlin Clark can’t catch a break giving autographs to fans
Sales in the league have increased by over 500% from the previous year, and Fanatics, the company that makes the jerseys, has confirmed that player-specific sales have increased by 1,000% since 2023.
Who has the higher sales?
Right now, Clark is in the lead when it comes to player-specific sales, with Reese trailing closely behind.
Two more well-known players that are in the top five are Sabrina Ionescu and A’ja Wilson, who is currently the WNBA’s best scorer.
At number four, though, Clark’s reach is evident as former Iowa teammate Kate Martin makes the list despite averaging fewer than ten minutes per game.
With Jordan producing personalized jerseys for Team USA and Team WNBA at the most recent All-Star Game, the WNBA’s financial boom continued. According to TMZ, this led to the event generating the highest on-site sales in WNBA history.
Record-breaking viewership has also been attained due to interest in the league, and Clark and Reese are taking their college supporters with them to the professionals. 2.4 million people watched the WNBA Draft, and viewership of nationally televised games has increased over the previous season.
With Disney, NBA, and Amazon allegedly willing to pay $2.2 billion over the next 11 years, that means the WNBA will have a stronger negotiating position when it comes to their next TV deal.
Kelsey Plum told Boardroom prior to the 2024 season what the players want in the upcoming collective bargaining agreement in 2025, so it hasn’t translated into better pay just yet.
