2024 WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix sells out, Friday event tickets still on sale
Jun 4, 2024, 1:20 PM
Phoenix Mercury mascot, "Scorch" waves a 2024 WNBA All-Star Phoenix flag during the second half of the WNBA game at Footprint Center on July 20, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The WNBA has seen a coverage boom thanks to Caitlin Clark and the 2024 draft class. While the league’s attention hit a high note this week after a hard foul on Clark by Chicago Sky opponent Chennedy Carter, ratings and ticket sales were already setting records.
The Phoenix Mercury announced on Tuesday that the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix set for July 20 at Footprint Center is already sold out at 17,035 people.
Fans can still find tickets to the game on Ticketmaster via verified resale.
Tickets are also still available for the Friday night All-Star events, including the three-point shooting contest and skills challenge, which will also take place at Footprint Center.
What has the Caitlin Clark effect done for the WNBA so far?
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During the first week of WNBA action in mid-May, the league saw a 14% increase in attendance from last year with both New York and Indiana leading the way with more than 17,000 fans at their home openers. The Liberty became the first team in WNBA history to have more than $2 million in ticket revenue for a single game in its opener.
In all, there were 10 sellouts during the league’s opening week.
Ratings have been historic. ESPN’s broadcast of Clark’s opening night game when the Indiana Fever played the Connecticut Sun had the highest viewership for a WNBA game on the network. It drew an average of 2.1 million viewers.
Clark remains in the rookie spotlight
Clark has been tested during her first month in the WNBA with physical play from opponents that has brought an increased spotlight on the league.
Not all of the attention has been positive.
The conversations exploded over the weekend when Carter gave a shoulder shot to Clark that knocked her to the floor before an inbound pass during the third quarter of the Sky-Indiana Fever game on Saturday.
The officials said Carter’s action was an away-from-the-ball foul and didn’t review the play. It was deemed a common foul at the time. The league upgraded the play to a flagrant-1 violation foul a day later.
Though the WNBA hasn’t commented on the physical plays involving Clark, the Carter-Clark collision had people talking across not only the sports media landscape but also shows like “The View.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
