The rivalry between the two continues off the court as well
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese continue to make their mark on women’s basketball and the WNBA.
The two have delivered on the court since being drafted by the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky respectively, with their popularity also extending off the court when it comes to jersey sales.
The league has seen an over 500 percent increase in sales compared to last year, with jersey manufacturers Fanatics confirming that player-specific sales have gone up by 1,000 percent since 2023.
To the surprise of no-one, Clark and Reese have been behind this increase.
Who has the higher sales?
As things stand, Clark currently leads the way when it comes to player-specific sales, with Reese slotting in just behind her.
Other big names featuring in the top five include the current WNBA leading scorer A’ja Wilson and Sabrina Ionescu. However, Clark’s reach is clearly on display when it comes to the No.4 spot, with former Iowa teammate Kate Martin making the list despite averaging less than 10 minutes.
The financial boom for the WNBA continued during the recent All-Star Game, with Jordan manufacturing custom jerseys for Team USA and Team WNBA. As a result, the event produced the most on-site sales in WNBA history according to TMZ.
Interest in the league has also resulted in record-breaking viewership numbers, with Clark and Reese turning bringing their college fans with them to the pros.
The WNBA Draft was watched by 2.4 million people, while nationally televised games have seen ratings tripled compared to last season.
It means the WNBA are now in stronger position when it comes to their next broadcast deal, with Disney, NBA and Amazon reportedly set to pay $2.2 billion over the next 11 years.
However, that hasn’t translated into higher salaries just yet, with Kelsey Plum telling Boardroom before the 2024 season what the players are looking for when it comes to next collective bargaining agreement in 2025.
“We’re not asking to get paid the same percentage as what men get paid, we’re asking to get paid the same percentage of revenue,” said Plum.
“In the NBA, they have percentages of revenue shared for the players, so jersey sales, TV contracts, but that’s because their CBA negotiates that, you know, if the owners are making certain types of money, they [the players] get that as well.
