Caitlin Clark is an All-Star. She also remains big business for the WNBA, as do the Las Vegas Aces.
In a highly anticipated game against Clark’s Indiana Fever at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday, the Aces recorded the highest regular-season attendance per game the WNBA has seen since 1999, with 20,366 fans showing up to the sold-out NHL Arena.
The Aces normally play their games at Michelob ULTRA Arena, but moved this game to T-Mobile Arena, home of the Vegas Golden Knights, due to increased demand for tickets as a result of Clark’s popularity.
While it’s easy to credit Clark, the Aces’ local popularity likely played a role in that number as well. They were already the first team in WNBA history to sell out every home game in the regular season.
The four WNBA regular season games with the highest attendance are even tied for first place with 20,674 fans, thanks to sellout stadiums for the Washington Mystics at what is now known as Capital One Arena in 1998 and 1999. The Mystics were actually in the top five before this game, thanks to their own game against Clark.
The best-attended playoff game was the 2003 WNBA Finals game between Detroit Shock and Los Angeles Sparks with 22,076 fans.
As Callie Lawson-Freeman of the Las Vegas Review-Journal notes, the Aces’ attendance is the largest ever seen at T-Mobile Arena for a professional sporting event, despite the fact that the venue also hosts numerous hockey games (including the Stanley Cup Final), MMA fights and boxing matches.
The only T-Mobile event that drew more fans: a 2021 basketball game between Duke and Gonzaga, which drew 22,389 fans.
The Aces defeated the Fever 88-69 for their fifth straight victory, with Kelsey Plum leading the way with 34 points, plus six rebounds and five assists. Clark had 13 points on 4 of 12 shooting, plus 11 assists, six rebounds and six turnovers.
