$818k NIL-valued Caitlin Clark draws huge audience as Big Ten WBB tournament nears sell out with more than two weeks to go

The Caitlin Clark Effect continues in 2024 as the Big Ten women's basketball tournament is set to take place at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota from March 6-10, 2024. While there are still nearly two weeks left, it looks like fans are excited to watch the showdown.

As reported by Yahoo Sports columnist Dan Wetzel:

"Big Ten women’s basketball tournament in Minneapolis is a near complete sell out despite being two weeks away. Fewer than 2,000 tickets across seven sessions remain (expected 109,000 fans). Will be the first ever full sell-out for the women’s event."

This is not the first time, though. The effect Caitlin Clark has had on ticket sales has long been discussed. On Jan. 31, when Iowa traveled to Illinois, Northwestern had its first sellout crows in school history.

As per reports by Vivid Seats, the Iowa Hawkeyes feature in the top five most in-demand NCAA women’s games this year. Furthermore, since Clark's joining in 2020, the average price of tickets for Iowa games is up by 224%.

Caitlin Clark's continued effect on college basketball

Last season's final between Iowa and LSU drew nearly 10 million viewers. Earlier this season, the Crossover at Kinnick exhibition game drew a massive crowd of 55,646. But these numbers are a new phenomenon, something even Clark has pointed out:

“I feel like I was just a freshman and I was playing in front of no one. It was just our families that were sitting over there. Now I play in front of a sold-out arena, everybody screaming at me after games begging for my autograph," Clark said in an interview with The Associated Press.

But now, things have changed and women's basketball is finally getting the attention it deserves. Caitlin Clark also enjoys personal benefits from this as evident in her NIL valuation which is reportedly around $818,000:

“I kind of get to be in the spotlight and I get to change people’s viewpoint of how they see women’s basketball," Clark said. "The amount of people that have come up to me and said, ‘I’ve never watched women’s basketball before before you and your team...’

"Some people could take that as a negative. But to me that’s a positive. We’re finally getting them to turn on the TV and watch it, but not only watch it once. They’re coming back for more,” Clark added.

Many analysts and even former players have commented on the positive effect this could have when she transitions to WNBA. Sheryl Swoopes, when talking about the future of Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark in the big league said:

"...their popularity, I think will absolutely be good for the league and bring in fans that the league hasn’t had before. And that is something the league needs right now.”

Both Reese and Clark are eligible for the 2024 WNBA draft, but they have not shared their decisions regarding this yet. Regardless, it will be interesting to see what these young women bring to the league and to the sport in general once they trun pro.