"Caitlin Clark may win the MVP by not playing": Dave Portnoy makes huge statement while sounding alarm bells for WNBA

Caitlin Clark’s minimum two-week absence is taking a toll on the Indiana Fever and the WNBA. The Indiana Fever are now 0-2 since the All-Star guard went down with a left quad injury on Saturday. Without Clark, her team looked in disarray in back-to-back games.

Dave Portnoy, a huge Clark fan, shared his thoughts on Friday following the Fever’s 85-83 loss to the previously winless Connecticut Sun.

“Caitlin Clark may win the MVP by not playing. The Fever now 0-2 without her and absolutely suck. Lost as 12.5 favorites at home.

“Also how about this TV coverage from the @wnba If Caitlin doesn’t get back fast it could be curtains for this league.”

Besides pointing out the Fever’s stuttering play, Portnoy also criticized the WNBA’s TV coverage. Following Marina Mabrey’s mid-range jumper that gave the Sun an 84-81 lead with 1:15, the businessman expressed his frustrations about the commercials. The coverage did not return until 39.7 seconds remained. Portnoy called the league a “joke” for how it featured the games to fans.

Clark is expected to miss at least two more games. She will be unavailable against the Washington Mystics on Tuesday and against the Chicago Sky on Saturday. With how they have been playing, the Indiana Fever could be 0-4 when their franchise cornerstone returns.

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Ticket prices and attendance have dropped due to Caitlin Clark’s injury

USA Sports received data from TickPick regarding ticket prices for the four games Caitlin Clark will not play in. According to the report, the average went from $137 to $80.

The Fever-Sky rematch, which would have been the next part in the Clark-Reese rivalry, isn’t as highly sought after as before. Per the same report, the cheapest tickets dropped from $86 to $25.

Despite the drop in prices, fan attendance also took a hit. Wednesday’s game between the Indiana Fever and the Washington Mystics was held at the CFG Bank Arena. From an expected full-packed venue of 14,000, Clark’s absence pulled down the attendance to 11,183.

Gainbridge Fieldhouse, usually filled to the rafters for Fever games since drafting Caitlin Clark, could not get a full house. 16,213 fans inside the 18,000-capacity arena watched the home team lose to the Connecticut Sun.