REPORT: WNBA Sees Historic 1,000% Increase In Merchandise Sales Thanks To Rookie Phenoms Caitlin Clark And Angel Reese.
Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark (Photo via Getty Images)
Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese and Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark have truly changed the game for women’s professional basketball during their first year in the league.
To no surprise of anybody, Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese have the two highest-selling jerseys in the first half of the 2024 WNBA season, according to Xavier Hunter of Sports Business Journal.
That is just the tip of the iceberg as Xavier Hunter further revealed that overall sales of merchandise through Fanatics are up 500 percent for the league compared to this time last year.
When it comes to player-specific apparel, sales are up 1,000 percent.
Top Five WNBA Players in Merchandise Sales from Fanatics:
1.Caitlin Clark
2.Angel Reese
3.Sabrina Ionescu
4.Kate Martin
5.A’ja Wilson(Via @TMZ_Sports ) pic.twitter.com/ranS1gHpy6
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 23, 2024
The influence of Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark is real.
It should be noted that other women in the league are driving sales as well, including New York Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu, Las Vegas Aces’ Kate Martin, and A’ja Wilson, who rounded out the top five.
The Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky are the two highest sellers at the team level. The New York Liberty, Las Vegas Aces, and Seattle Storm follow them.
The two WNBA superstars have generated headlines since their time in college, and it has only increased since they were drafted into the WNBA.
Caitlin Clark’s Influence Likely Helped The WNBA’s $2.2 Billion Deal
The arrival of Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark in the WNBA has had an immense impact on the league, and now it has resulted in a substantial dollar figure for the league.
News broke that the league agreed to a new media rights deal with Disney, NBC, and Amazon. The WNBA will reportedly receive $2.2 billion over the next 11 years.
