The Angel Reese Effect Is Real: WNBA Finals Get-In Price Jumps to Record $201

For long, many felt that the WNBA's growth was solely because of Caitlin Clark. But now, Angel Reese is proving just how popular she is.

The Angel Reese Effect Is Real: WNBA Finals Get-In Price Jumps to Record $201

Angel Reese has established her superstar image (Image via Polymarket Hoops/X)

In the days after the WNBA semifinals concluded, Angel Reese and her teammates faced a situation where they could rely on only 3,500 fans to cheer them on at home. In contrast, their opponents, the Golden State Valkyries, will undoubtedly have nearly six times that number rooting for them.

Owner Joe Lacob made sure there would be no repeat of last season’s playoff blunder, when his billion-dollar-valued WNBA team had to play in Oakland just to satisfy Stephen Curry and the Warriors.

This time, even the four-time champion made it clear that all Bay Area fans should root for the sister team. After such a rallying cry, there was no doubt that San Francisco would wear violet even though the 49ers are currently leading the NFL.

The Falcons are also experiencing a resurgence. But the franchise knows the city’s most important athletes are those wearing Dream jerseys, as they are about to fight for the city’s first professional championship since the Atlanta Braves won the 2021 World Series.

Knowing how important this is to the city and the state of Georgia, Lacob and the Dream’s owners pressured the NBA and State Farm Arena to change schedules to accommodate Angel Reese and her teammates.

Once they finally relented, moving Hawks games to other time slots, the floodgates opened to the additional 14000+ tickets that suddenly went on sale. Usually, excess supply leads to a drop in prices.

But Angel Reese‘s impact was immediately evident when TickPick revealed that prices have surged to the point where the get-in price stands at $201. That happens to be the highest price for a WNBA Finals game ever.

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While many have trolled Angel Reese for claiming that she too helped the WNBA grow, times have changed, and so has fan perception about the Maryland star’s true worth.

Angel Reese was dominant in the semifinals
Angel Reese was dominant in the semifinals (Image via WNBA/X)

Some might point to her forays into the world of fashion and entertainment, which helped her amass a massive following on social media. But internet fame does not always translate to arena ticket sales.

That was the situation with the Chicago Sky, whom she played for two years. Even the Dream’s first several games were not completely sold out. What changed was when fans noticed that the 24-year-old was finally becoming the on-court superstar she claimed she would be.

Her exploits for USA Basketball definitely changed the perception many of her critics had. If there were any lingering doubts, they vanished after they saw Reese dominate against the much more experienced New York Liberty in the semifinals.

All the trash talk, standing up for her teammates, and domination on both ends of the floor have now pushed average prices for the games at State Farm Arena to $494. No one following Angel Reese’s career would believe something like this would happen in previous years.

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Angel Reese and Dream should be wary of the Valkyries’ underdog mentality

Fans arriving at State Farm Arena will hope that they get their money’s worth. Only then can demand for future tickets continue to rise, where both the league and its players reap the rewards.

To ensure that happens, Angel Reese and her Atlanta Dream have to arrive back home without having to stage a comeback.

Any team leading two-nil in the Finals has the edge. If the series has to be competitive, the Dream have to ensure they get the measure of their opponents in the two games in San Francisco.

Even though they’re the higher seed, I think they like the underdog position. I think they thrive in that… It’s home court advantage with an underdog mentality.

Sue Bird said on NBC’s Showtime

If anything, Reese and her teammates have to keep the Hall of Famer’s analysis in mind. Having played that many years in the league, Sue Bird knows how that combination of home-court advantage and the underdog mentality can be effective. Therefore, the Dream have their task cut out for them when they travel to the Bay Area.

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