Dissecting the ‘Caitlin Clark effect’ and how it can boost the future of the WNBA, Fever and Indy

Usually when we’re talking about economic impact in Indianapolis we’re referring to a multimillion-dollar real estate project or a one-off sports or convention event like GenCon or the Super Bowl. But much of the talk in the last few months has been about a living, breathing basketball star from Iowa who in a very short period of time has changed the financial expectations for women’s basketball, not only for the Indiana Fever but the entire WNBA. Of course, that's Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark, who is bringing thousands of new fans downtown for every Fever home game.

Clark has arrived in the WNBA at an opportune moment. The league is in negotiations for a new media rights deal, which could significantly increase revenue. And after this season, the players union and the league can negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement that could significantly raise compensation. You’ll recall the outrage heard across social media last month when fans learned that due to the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement Clark’s salary this season would be just a smidge over $76,000—about one-hundredth of what top rookies earn in the NBA.

On this week’s episode of the IBJ Podcast, we have two guests to discuss the short-term and long-term effects of Caitlin Clark’s stardom on the Indiana Fever, the WNBA and Indianapolis. (We should acknowledge that for all of the attention Clark received last year for her otherworldy shooting and her pursuit of the NCAA Division I scoring record, the WNBA already was on an upswing, and there are at least a dozen high-profile rookies in the league this year driving fans to games.) Our guests are Ann Bastianelli, teaching professor in marketing at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, and Beth Livingston, an associate professor in industrial relations at the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business. They dive into all of these issues, as well as whether another poor showing by the Fever this season will take some of the wind out of the sails of the "Caitlin Clark effect."

The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by Taft.