WNBA fever grips Indiana, floor seats sell for over 700$ ahead of Caitlin Clark's debut

Anticipation is building for Indiana Fever rookie sensation Caitlin Clark's WNBA debut, with preseason ticket prices reportedly soaring to unprecedented heights.

Clark, the NCAA Division 1's all-time leading scorer (3,951 points) is projected to help the WNBA smash its viewership records this year. The regular season doesn't tip off until May 14. However, fans are already lining up to see Clark suit up in her first preseason game on the road against the Dallas Wings on Friday.

Per The Washington Times, Indiana, which finished 10th of 12 teams last season (13-27), is StubHub's No. 1 trending franchise. 500-plus Fever tickets have reportedly been sold since Tuesday, with some reaching staggering prices.

One floor-level seat for Friday's preseason showdown was listed at $791. Additionally, tickets for the Fever's second and final preseason game at home against the Atlanta Dream on May 10 have gone for as much as $672.

Outside of Indiana, the WNBA is trending up league-wide, with its StubHub ticket sales reportedly up by 93% since last season. This marks a trend for the league, as it has continuously gained coverage on major sports platforms over the past few years. That increased exposure has resulted in many of its top players becoming more marketable.

However, Clark's popularity is expected to take the WNBA's success to another level, with 36 of Indiana's 40 regular-season games set to be nationally televised. If Clark lives up to the massive expectations she faces in Year 1, the league should continue experiencing a substantial popularity increase.

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Caitlin Clark on pressure to live up to expectations amid growing anticipation for WNBA debut

Caitlin Clark faces extreme pressure to become the next face of the WNBA and lead the Fever back to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. However, the 22-year-old is confident she and her squad can fulfill fans' expectations.

Ahead of her preseason debut, Clark touched on how she's always thrived under pressure. She added that having more fans attending games expecting her and Indiana to succeed can only be viewed as a positive.

"I think no matter what happens, there’s going to be expectations and pressure on my shoulders and pressure on this team to be really good. That’s how you want it," Clark said.

"We wouldn’t want anything else. We want people showing up to our games, people expecting us to win a lot of basketball games this year. And I’m expecting myself to play really well. I don’t think it’s anything that’s ever been different for me."

Clark's immense confidence should bode well for her chances of carrying over her dominant college production to the WNBA. She averaged a whopping 31.6 points per game during her senior year with the Iowa Hawkeyes. Meanwhile, last season's WNBA-leading scorer averaged 24.7 ppg (Jewell Loyd).

So, if Clark continues her elite scoring in her rookie season, she could quickly assert herself as the league's most electric offensive player.

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