Iowa Hawkeyes superstar point guard Caitlin Clark will face off against Paige Bueckers and the rest of the University of Connecticut Huskies tonight at 6:30 p.m. PT/9:30 p.m. ET, for the opportunity to play in the NCAA championship game. Whether or not the 33-4 Hawkeyes (the No. 1 seed in their bracket) can vanquish the 33-5 Huskies (the No. 3 seed), Clark’s impact on the future of women’s basketball seems secure. Bueckers is no slouch either, and one of the draft-eligible stars of the game who reportedly does intend to return to college for 2024-25.
The sharpshooting senior’s insane scoring touch has captivated audiences all across the country and world, at a level never before seen in women’s hoops. The Elite Eight clash that saw Clark propel Iowa to beat the LSU Tigers, a rematch of last year’s NCAA championship bout (which the Tigers won at the time), drew a record 12.3 million viewers. Clark did not disappoint, scoring 41 points, passing for 12 assists, grabbing seven rebounds, swiping two steals and blocking a shot.
The average price of a ticket to take in this Final Four matchup with Clark has now increased to an astronomical $726, which has lapped the average price of a men’s Final Four ticket.
Clark has won basically every honor this season (and last) outside of a title. She’s a two-time Associated Press Player of the Year, a two-time Honda Sports Award winner, a two-time Naismith College Player of the Year, a two-time USBWA National Player of the Year, a two-time Wade Trophy winner, a three-time unanimous NCAA All-American First-Teamer, a four-time USBWA All-American First Teamer, a three-time Associated Press All-American First Teamer, a four-time WBCA Coaches’ All-American, a three-time Dawn Staley Award winner, a two-time Nancy Lieberman Award winner, a three-time Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player, a three-time Big Ten Player of the Year, and a four-time All-Big Ten First-Teamer. She’s also led the NCAA in scoring and assists in three of her four collegiate seasons.
Getty Images/Carmen Mandato
Across her 37 contests thus far this year, the 6-foot guard is averaging 32 points on .460/.380/.862 shooting splits, nine assists, 7.3 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 0.5 blocks a night.
Now, it appears that the high-rated NCAA Tournament on the women’s side are already creating exciting ripple effects. According to Karen Garcia of The Los Angeles Times, Clark’s impending entrance in the WNBA (she has declared that she will not explore a fifth season of NCAA eligibility) has seen ticket prices shoot up in anticipation of her arrival. The Indiana Fever possess the top pick, which is almost guaranteed to be used on Clark. Garcia reports that the sticker price on a ticket for a family of four to take in a Fever-LA Sparks game has increased from $16 last season to $448-$560 this year.
As Garcia notes, the cost of Sparks tickets for this summer’s WNBA season on StubHub are on a par with the prices of Cleveland Cavaliers and Lakers tickets this season. It’s quite the achievement.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.