This is another “Welcome to the WNBA” moment for Caitlin Clark.
At Iowa, she became the hottest ticket in college women’s basketball history and the NCAA‘s all-time leading scorer.
![Caitlin Clark is focused on doing her job on the court after a tough rookie start](https://talksport.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/05/user-expressly-acknowledges-agrees-downloading-901470866.jpg)
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Her first pro game was rough, though, as Clark set an unwanted record with 10 turnovers in her pro debut.
Now, the other part of WNBA reality is setting in.
As of Thursday morning, anyone who wanted to purchase a ticket to watch Clark make her home debut with the Indiana Fever could get in the door for an astonishingly low price of just $7.
That’s partly because the Fever are playing inside 18,000-seat capacity Gainbridge Fieldhouse, which is regularly the home arena for the NBA’s Indiana Pacers.
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But it also shows the struggle that the WNBA still faces, despite Clark pushing the league to record TV ratings for her pro debut and the recent draft.
If the Fever had their own home venue with a smaller seating capacity that better suited the league’s overall popularity, it’s easy to imagine a single ticket going for hundreds of dollars on the secondary market.
At Iowa, the price for a single ticket to watch the Hawkeyes vs the Ohio State Buckeyes in February was almost $500.
But even though Clark’s WNBA home debut has been hyped for months, it’s cheaper to buy a ticket in Section 206, Row 18 ($7) for the New York Liberty vs the Fever than it is to pay for a caramel ribbon crunch frappuccino blended beverage at Starbucks ($7.45).
![Media attention surrounding Clark has continued after the NCAA Tournament](https://talksport.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/05/user-expressly-acknowledges-agrees-downloading-901479421.jpg)
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A chai tea latte ($6.15) costs almost the same as an in-the-door ticket to watch Clark play the Liberty on Thursday night in downtown Indianapolis.
A Gingerbread Oat Milk Chai ($7.45) is more expensive than a seat to cheer on Clark and the Fever in person.
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Road tickets to watch Clark are more expensive, showing fan demand away from home.
The cheapest secondary-market seat for a matchup Saturday against the Liberty in New York at Barclays Center is $67.
But that pales in comparison to the $125 entry-level price for an Oklahoma City Thunder vs Dallas Mavericks ticket on Saturday.
The cheapest Game 6 New York Knicks-Pacers ticket is $72 — 10 times more than the price of a Fever ticket on Thursday.
Tickets for Clark’s home debut also appear to be plentiful in the $8-10 range.
Even a 100-level section seat can be had for $48.
![Fans show their support of the new and biggest face of the WNBA](https://talksport.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/05/user-expressly-acknowledges-agrees-downloading-901453318.jpg)
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It took less than an hour for Clark’s Fever jersey to completely sell out on draft night.
There’s no doubt that she’s a game- and sport-changer, and she could end up as the best player in WNBA history.
But after being praised by everyone from LeBron James and Tom Brady to Peyton Manning and former United States President Barack Obama, Clark is playing in a different world in the WNBA.
Private charter flights for teams were finally promised, yet Angel Reese recently said that her Chicago squad was still flying with the general public.
“Just praying that this is one of the last commercial flights Chicago Sky has to fly,” Reese posted.
Clark is one of the biggest names in American sports right now.
But if you can make it to downtown Indy on Thursday, you can watch her in person for less than the cost of a fancy Starbucks drink.
Clark clearly deserves better than that.
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The former Iowa sharpshooter has the potential to take the WNBA to the next level in American sports.
The pro basketball league that Clark now plays in must also step up its game, on and off the court.