Lexie Brown Credits Caitlin Clark as WNBA Teams Reach $427 Million Average Valuation

The WNBA has become the fastest growing league ever since Caitlin Clark brought along her millions of fans.

Lexie Brown Credits Caitlin Clark as WNBA Teams Reach $427 Million Average Valuation

Caitlin Clark's fame helps WNBA teams surge in value (Image via FirstSportz)

In Short
  • Caitlin Clark's arrival in the WNBA has significantly boosted the league's popularity and team valuations.
  • The average WNBA team is now valued at $427 million, a substantial increase from $96 million when Clark joined.
  • The league has achieved the highest value-to-revenue multiplier of any major sports league at 13.6, surpassing the NBA.

When Caitlin Clark first arrived in the WNBA, there were many who felt that her popularity was going to transform the league. Then others were not happy with that narrative.

Every time the league broke new viewership or attendance records, those naysayers were there to discredit the Iowa native. They claimed that the league was already on the rise, and it was not down to just one player.

Even one of the billionaire owners discredited Clark by suggesting that the entire league should have been promoted by Time Magazine, instead of just the Indiana Fever superstar.

Admittedly, last season’s Finals viewership numbers did give those critics some ammunition. However, one player believes that it is mostly because of the NCAA scoring champion.

It’s not rocket science to see that since her arrival, and the rest of that 2024 class, the WNBA has skyrocketed… It’s not a coincidence.

Lexie Brown told FOX News Digital’s Jack Thompson

The nine-year veteran added that Caitlin Clark’s fandom from college has carried over to the WNBA, and that is what has fueled this massive growth.

Lexie Brown admitted that Clark’s fans, being new to the league, were taken aback by the physicality. She cited her own experience to suggest that the league is very tough on anyone and everyone.

At the same time, she praised the Indiana Fever superstar for learning and adjusting to the league fast enough and making her mark. That has also helped fans change their views about the WNBA, mostly for the better.

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Caitlin Clark’s fandom helps WNBA team values skyrocket

Not many will come forward to confirm that Caitlin Clark has been the catalyst for this growth in women’s basketball, but one can count Lexie Brown among the few to admit it.

Fans flock to watch Caitlin Clark
Fans flock to watch Caitlin Clark (Image via WNBA/X)

What confirms that notion are the numbers the league keeps breaking every year. When the 24-year-old joined the league, the average WNBA team was valued at roughly $96 million. At that time, NWSL teams enjoyed higher valuations owing to their larger fan bases. Now, that has flipped. Sportico revealed its valuations for this season, and the average WNBA team is now worth $427 million.

Caitlin Clark‘s Indiana Fever is valued at $560 million, up from $335 last season. The biggest change was the Golden State Valkyries, who were valued at a league-leading $500 million during their inaugural season last year.

This time, Sportico values them at a staggering $850 million. WNBA teams are surging in value at an astonishing rate. That means it will not be long before a few teams cross the billion-dollar mark.

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Caitlin Clark helps WNBA lead all leagues in revenue percentage

Some might still scoff at these valuations, citing the league’s history of struggling to generate revenue. But Sportico also revealed that WNBA teams are now generating revenue that is helping these valuations soar.

As per the publication, the league now enjoys a 13.6 value-to-revenue multiplier. Not only is it surprisingly higher than the NBA, but it is also more than the NFL, NWSL, Formula 1, and even some of the best soccer clubs from across the globe.

If this is the rate at which the league grows, then it is on the verge of transforming women’s sports on its own. The NWSL has seen a surge in interest after Trinity Rodman‘s arrival.

But they also know that associating with the WNBA is beneficial for women’s sports. All of this is possible because of the millions of fans Caitlin Clark brought to the game.

After helping them grow at a faster pace than any other brand in the country, many felt that it was all a fluke. Now, the numbers are proving that her impact is not a flash-in-the-pan experience.

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