DALLAS, Texas — The Caitlin Clark effect is real, and it's helping the Dallas Wings grow the women's basketball audience tenfold ahead of her WNBA debut on May 3, when the Wings' court in Arlington will be the backdrop.
Tickets went on sale for the Wings' season on Thursday, and, as expected, there was a big run on them for their pre-season game against the Indiana Fever, which selected Clark first overall in the WNBA draft.
Prices for tickets soared; some of the highest prices ranged from $700 to $1,100. The lowest, per various ticket purchasing outlets, hovered just under $110.
Dallas Wings CEO Greg Bibb told WFAA that the franchise wisely scheduled a pre-season game against the Fever before the WNBA draft, anticipating that Clark would begin her professional career and be the first selection.
"We have seen incremental gains in business growth every year since 2020, and what's happened in the NCAA has been an accelerant to that growth," Bibb said. "We structured our ticket sales accordingly and waited later in the calendar year to go on sale with them to create a pent-up demand post-draft."
Bibb also said the franchise decided to put tickets up for sale after the draft to capitalize on the hype from fans; this strategy has paid massive dividends for the team so far.
Individual ticket sales are up 1,170% year-to-date per Bibb. Overall ticket sales are up 220%, and for the first time in the franchise's history in Texas, season tickets are also sold out.
"Regarding individual ticket sales, it was the best day our franchise has ever had," Bibb said.
The Wings also play back-to-back season games against the Chicago Sky, which drafted Angel Reese, another top-draw talent coming to the WNBA. Bibb said the Wings were just lucky on that end, adding that the schedule had already been set.
Bibb expects the pre-season game featuring Clark, and the Wings' home opener featuring Reese, to be sold out by early next week.
"Indiana has been fantastic in terms of working with us. Originally, we had the game scheduled for a morning tip. We've moved that to the evening, and now they will spend an extra night to accommodate us. They have been great in this process," Bibb told WFAA.
The Fever will return and play the Wings later in the year, and Bibb reinforced that the team wouldn't choose another, bigger, venue to capitalize on ticket sales – adding that College Park Center is the place for now.
"We would make much more money on the game if we moved it," Bibb said. "But we have played at College Park Center for eight years. They have been our wonderful partners, and it's our home."
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