Caitlin Clark has changed the game. Literally. She altered the college basketball landscape before the Indiana Fever drafted her with the No. 1 overall pick in 2024. In her short time in the W, she's broken records and helped Indiana secure a playoff berth for the first time since 2016.
After Clark declared for the WNBA, prices for the Fever's home opener against the Liberty went up 50 percent. Indiana has the highest ticket prices in the league because of its young star. You used to be able to go to a Fever game for an affordable price.
Clark's more than lived up to the hype. She's crossed several records off her list, including recording the first triple-double by a WNBA rookie. She's drawn millions of eyes to her on-court play, and that's translated to her off-the-court endeavors.
In May, Clark signed a multiyear partnership with Wilson (the official game ball of the W). Her partnership included a signature basketball deal, which made her the only athlete other than Michael Jordan to have one.
On Monday, her basketball collection officially went on sale, and sold out in less than an hour.
Caitlin Clark's basketball collection sold out in less than 40 minutes
Sports Business Journal reported that Clark's collection sold out in less than 40 minutes. Wilson didn't say how many basketballs sold, but SBJ reported that the number was "somewhere in the tens of thousands."
David Picioski, Wilson's head of global brand partnerships and collaborations, raved about Clark's impact:
“We haven't done a deal of this magnitude since we did one with Michael Jordan 30 to 40 years ago when we launched his first collection of basketballs,” Picioski said. “I can tell you that the gravity of this movement and what it has brought back to our company, like business, e-commerce and traffic is phenomenal. The impressions and engagement that we're seeing on all these channels really is unprecedented.”
The Clark effect is real. At 22, she's already a household name -- she might be your favorite athlete's favorite athlete.
Social media largely contributed to Clark's rise to stardom. Videos of her pulling up for deep three-pointers at Iowa were everywhere. The 2024 WNBA Draft peaked at 3.09 million viewers. 2.12 million viewers tuned into the Fever's first game of the season in Connecticut.
It's no surprise that Clark's basketball collection quickly sold out. Fans want to say that they own something Clark helped create. Her impact is generational.