Caitlin Clark projected to generate over $1B for WNBA this year in eye-watering projection

Caitlin Clark's impact on the WNBA goes far beyond what the Indiana Fever star does on the court. The reigning Rookie of the Year spiked attendance and merchandise sales for the Fever in her first professional season. However, Ryan Brewer, a finance professor at Indiana University Columbus believes that Clark could create more than $1 billion for the league in her second season.

Caitlin Clark made a name for herself during her college career at Iowa. Her deep run in the 2023 NCAA Tournament grabbed the attention of fans all over the country and they haven't stopped watching since. Clark is one of the most popular athletes in any sport in the world right now, and the league she plays in is benefiting because of it.

Caitlin Clark is at the forefront of the league's growth and has quickly become one of its faces. After breaking records in her rookie season when it came to jersey sales and attendance, Clark's sophomore season is off to another hot start. Brewer told NBC News' Andrew Grief that if the WNBA continues on its current path, Clark could generate close to $1 billion for the league by herself.

“If things just go as they were, and we have an expanded season of 22 home games with modest inflation, I’m looking at $875 [million],” Brewer said. “And I could easily see that eclipsing a billion dollars on the economic impact of Caitlin Clark this year.”

While Caitlin Clark's popularity helps the league, she isn't the only reason why Brewer's expectations are so high. The WNBA is introducing two more teams next season, joining the Golden State Valkyries as the newest additions to the league. New teams gives the league access to new markets, which combined with the new 11-year, $2.2 billion media rights deal, give the WNBA a bright future.

The WNBA is putting Caitlin Clark front and center in 2025

While the WNBA's success is thanks to the league offices expanding quickly, they understand that the easiest way for the game to succeed is if it is led by its stars. Right now, there is no bigger star than Caitlin Clark, and the league knew that when planning which games would be put on national television this season.

Of their 44 regular season games, the Fever will have 41 of them on national television. To put things into perspective, A'ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces will have 33 of their games televised nationally, the second most behing Indiana. Caitlin Clark is such a big draw that the league wants her to play in front of as many eyes as possible as often as possible.

Clark's popularity is even forcing teams to reconsider their venues in 2025. Multiple teams, including the Atlanta Dreams, shifted their game against the Fever into the stadium of their NBA counterpart to accommodate the sheer number of fans they expected to attend the game.

Clark's success has positive repercussions on the WNBA as the league continues to grow. If things are handled correctly, the sky's the limit on how much money the league could end up making thanks to the young superstar.