Caitlin Clark doesn’t get paid enough. At least that’s what her agent thinks. “Will Caitlin Clark ever be paid by the WNBA what she’s really worth to that league? I don’t think that’s possible,” said Erin Kane, of Excel Sports Management. You can scoff or nod in agreement. But you know what? That’s not even the big story.

The bigger question is, what’s the financial footprint that her giant footprints have left? Let’s just say it’s bigger than you would imagine. A study estimates that Indianapolis’s local economy has scored a slam dunk with Caitlin Clark’s presence. Slam dunk worth $36M.

Dr. Ryan Brewer, Division Head and Associate Professor at Indiana University Columbus, calculated the economic impact of Caitlin Clark on the local economy, and the figure came out to be $36M. To put that into perspective, only 27 NBA Pros received a higher salary cap than that.

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Additionally, a report from Common Sense Institute found that ‘Iowa’s economy saw a boost to the state’s GDP of between $14.4 million and $52.3 million as a direct result of the Caitlin Clark effect… enough to purchase between 1,418 and 5,176 acres of Iowa cropland.’ The WNBA last season earned 27% of its revenue thanks – in one way or another – to Clark, per the same study. While the methodology of the study wasn’t publicly available, Clark’s impact is borne by her stats from her college days.

For instance, in 2018, the University of Iowa’s women’s basketball games drew only 5,138 fans compared to the men’s 12,869. Whereas, in 2023, 14,914 fans came to watch the women’s games on average, surpassing the men’s (9,961) for the first time, per a report on Monday Morning Economist. That translated into the WNBA as well last year.

Clark’s debut season equaled a 1300% increase in ticket sales.
Fever also reported a 264% increase in average game attendance.
Fever-Sky game last season averaged 2.25M viewers on CBS.

Indeed, late last year, the Indiana Fever witnessed the highest attendance in AWAY games: 17,035, almost double the league average and 4,306 more than the second-highest, New York Liberty. It’s staggering, and worth drawing a comparison to another legend: LeBron James.

What’s your perspective on:

Is Caitlin Clark’s $36M impact proof that WNBA stars deserve NBA-level paychecks?

Have an interesting take?

Debate

James’ impact on Cleveland, a city not known for sporting success, is ideal for a case study on an athlete’s impact on the local economy. Clark’s economic footprint closely resembles how James came, saw, and conquered. And then left a million-dollar economy on its awake.

Can Caitlin replicate in Indianapolis what LeBron James did in Cleveland?

A business study on James’s impact beyond the court found that the arrival of Lebron James was the direct cause of a dramatic impact on the local service industry:

Bars and restaurants grew by 13%, within a mile of the stadium where LeBron plays.
A 23.5% upshot in employment within those establishments was noticed.
The ripple effects of James’s presence were felt even seven miles away.

In fact, the number of bars and restaurants near the arena went upwards during his stint in Cleveland. And the fall when he left was palpable. From 190 in 2009, it dropped to 165 in 2012. Once again, when he came back, a similar phenomenon was noticed. From roughly 160 establishments in 2014, it went up to 210 in 2015, within 365 days of James’ return.

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A 2010 report from Cleveland.com noted that James brought $200 million in spending to the downtown district. A study by AEI found that ticket sales shot up by 100 times, with the average price going to $386 from $25. Once again, when the 20-time NBA All-Star left for the Lakers, the region was projected to miss around $150M.

What was staggering about James was, of course, his sustained impact. Can Caitlin Clark continue to be the needle mover a decade from now? Of course, that depends on the Indiana Fever star’s consistency over the years. Clark’s 769 points – most by a point guard in a single season in WNBA history – and 337 assists – a single-season league record – is surely a good start.