Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers’ 1st WNBA Clash Pushes Courtside Seats Past $3000

Two of the best guards in the 2020 college basketball recruiting class, Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers, will resume their battles in the WNBA.

Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers’ 1st WNBA Clash Pushes Courtside Seats Past $3000

Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers' 1st WNBA battle fuels $3000 tickets (Image via Firstsportz)

Entering year 2, the hype surrounding the WNBA is more than ever. Caitlin Clark has helped the league and its franchises rake in millions in ticket and merchandise sales even before the season starts. Now with Paige Bueckers coming in, the chances of this growth increasing are higher than before.

Initial reports suggested that Bueckers was not happy when the Dallas Wings won the WNBA Draft lottery. Apparently, she wanted to take her talents to Los Angeles, where her fame would help her grow her brand.

But later, she clarified that those rumors were untrue, and she was committed to whoever picked her. The Wings selected her with the first overall pick, pairing her with a team built to compete in the playoffs. But women’s basketball fans are waiting for her to resume her battle with college rival and close friend Caitlin Clark.

The WNBA might have placed more importance on Clark’s clashes with Angel Reese. Ticket prices for their opening game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse start at $69. But those numbers are nothing compared to what fans are paying to watch Clark battle Bueckers on June 28th.

As per ticketing site Vivid Seats, the lowest get-in price now is $164. The average ticket price is $450, which means some tickets are going into the thousands. Some courtside tickets are retailing above $3,400, which happens to be more than what some fans paid to watch Luka Doncic return to Dallas.

Couples and families could end up spending $10,000 or more

Fans paid $3,000 to watch Luka Doncic dominate his previous team, the Dallas Mavericks, at American Airlines Center. It is the same venue where Caitlin Clark and will face Paige Bueckers for the first time as WNBA opponents.

They have had some battles in college, most notably the 2024 NCAA Final Four where a controversial late-game foul helped Clark’s Iowa move on to their second consecutive national championship game. Fans believe this rivalry will be the dawn of a new era along with Angel Reese.

That is why those court-side tickets might be selling through third-party resellers for over $4,000. That means a couple wanting to watch Caitlin Clark resume her college rivalry with Paige Bueckers might be forking out close to $10,000, including service fees and taxes. Factor in a family, and that price might rise.

Even with the cheapest tickets on offer, combined with food and drinks, merchandise sales, and travel, a family might spend $1000 or more that night. Fans in the WNBA never spent this much money on a game. It goes to show that these two first overall picks might be pushing the league into a new era.

Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers do not see each other as rivals

Caitlin Clark is a pure point guard who can also score a bunch of points. Her defense might not be good enough to slow other top-tier opponents, but she is working on it. Paige Bueckers, on the other hand, is primarily a shooting guard.

Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark battling in college
Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark battling in college (Image via Open Source/X)

Her defense is top-tier, and her scoring efficiency is off the charts. But she will play the point guard role for the Dallas Wings, as their rotation will force that. She did clarify that she has played the position before, therefore, she should not have a problem in the W.

She pointed out recently that both their games are vastly different, and fans should not compare them to each other. But Clark also said the same thing last season, but it did not stop basketball fans from pitting her against Reese and vice versa.

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