Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese rematch most expensive WNBA game on record

For the third time this year, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese will square off on the big stage. Sunday’s Indiana Fever vs. Chicago Sky game will be the first such matchup in the Windy City – and ticket prices are setting records.

The average price of admission for the game is $271, according to Front Office Sports. That would make it the most expensive WNBA game on record, and it shows the anticipation is growing for the third showdown of the year between two of the league’s highest-profile players.

Clark and the Fever won the first two games, both of which were at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Indiana’s 71-70 victory on June 1 was its second of the year, and the Fever had the upper hand last week in a 91-83 win in Indianapolis, as well.

This time, the two teams will converge on the Sky’s home court at Wintrust Arena. And if the trend continues, ESPN could be in for a huge day, as well.

The last game between the Sky and Fever drew 2.25 million viewers on CBS – the most ever for a WNBA game. That came on the heels of a victory for ESPN in the first game between the two teams, which was at Noon ET and still averaged 1.5 million viewers. It’s the second-highest ratings for a WNBA game on ESPN this year, trailing only the Fever’s game against the Connecticut Sun on May 20.

How Caitlin Clark is impacting WNBA viewership

During her record-setting career at Iowa, Caitlin Clark helped drive record viewership and ticket prices at the college level. Her last NCAA Tournament run rewrote the record books with four straight games becoming the most-watched game ever – including the Elite Eight matchup against Angel Reese and LSU.

That trend is continuing into the WNBA, as well. So far this year, the Fever have set nine of the 10 viewership records this year, according to Sports Media Watch.

Clark’s May 14 debut against the Sun set the table with 2.12 million people tuning in to ESPN2. Then, the next game against a loaded New York Liberty team drew 1.71 million people on ABC, and the rematch against Connecticut averaged 1.56 million on ESPN.

The Fever then set new records on ION and NBA TV before the Liberty vs. the Minnesota Lynx drew 704,000 viewers, which was then the record for CBS. Of course, that record fell last week. As for ION, Indiana’s victory over the Washington Mystics took the top spot June 7, with 102 million people tuning in.

Finally, on Wednesday, the Fever again beat the Mystics and broke NBA TV’s viewership record with 460,000 people tuning in. It’s been quite a run for Indiana and the WNBA, and it’s sure to continue this weekend.

Fever heating up, Sky looking to get on track

The last week has been a big one for the Fever, which won three straight home games before embarking on a road trip starting Friday night in Atlanta. Indiana got victories over the Dream, Sky and Mystics at Gainbridge to improve to 5-9 after a rough start to the year.

In that game against the Sky, Caitlin Clark had 23 points, eight rebounds and nine assists as she came just short of a triple-double. Reese was in the midst of her historic double-double streak with 11 points and 13 rebounds, along with five assists, as Chicago dropped its fourth straight game.

The Sky got back on the winning side Thursday, though, with a win over the Dallas Wings. Chennedy Carter and Marina Mabrey led the way with 19 points apiece, while Reese had 16 points to go with 18 rebounds – setting a franchise record in the process.

Now, Chicago and Indiana will square off once again on a big stage on Sunday. It won’t be an early afternoon tip-off, though, with a 4 p.m. start time on ESPN.