Caitlin Clark fever hits WNBA as Las Vegas Aces reportedly shift to T-Mobile arena to accommodate 8000 more seats for July 2nd matchup vs. Indiana

It seems like the Caitlin Clark Effect is already well on its way to the pros, even if the former Iowa Hawkeye still hasn`t laced up on a WNBA floor. That`s at least what it looks like by a recent major move from the Las Vegas Aces, who are set to play the Indiana Fever on July 2nd.

The Aces recently announced that they`re moving their matchup against the Fever to the T-Mobile Arena to add 8,000 more seats. The announcement was broken out by Bleacher Report on Instagram:

Normally, the Las Vegas Aces play their home games at the Michelob ULTRA Arena in Mandalay Bay. The arena seats 12,000 spectators, while in comparison, the T-Mobile Arena accommodates 20,000 spectators.

The main reason is simple: the Fever hold the top pick in the WNBA Draft, and they`re expected to pick Caitlin Clark. The former Iowa Hawkeyes star has been basically the talk of the basketball world, with her performances drawing crowds far and wide. The WNBA believes it won`t be too weird that the so-called "Caitlin Clark Effect" will follow her into the pros.

Despite failing to win a national championship for the second straight season, Clark has been the undisputed face and voice of women`s basketball all over the world. Her legendary 2023-2024 season is the stuff of history books, and the WNBA has no reason to believe she`ll be able to sell out arenas for the league as well.

What is the Caitlin Clark Effect?

This phenomenon simply points to the fact that whenever and wherever Caitlin Clark plays, she draws quite a crowd. This even includes fans of the opposing team flocking to the venue just to see her play.

Early on in the NCAA season, a game between Iowa and Nebraska saw lines outside the Cornhuskers` home, Pinnacle Bank Arena. In that game, fans were anticipating whether Clark would finally set the NCAAW all-time scoring record. She didn`t, but this attention definitely helped set a precedent.

As for the WNBA itself, the league as a whole is already in prep mode. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert wholeheartedly believes that Caitlin Clark`s arrival will help at least double the league`s media valuations from $50 million to around $100 million (via Keys News) as the WNBA is set to renegotiate its media rights deals in 2025. Caitlin Clark`s impending arrival is almost too perfect an opportunity.