Inclement weather paused the party in Indy — but only briefly. With Indiana painted in orange, nothing is slowing the WNBA’s rise. Not a two-hour delay. Not even Caitlin Clark is sitting out.

Sure, the get-in tag dipped the moment word spread that Clark wouldn’t suit up — dropping 48%, from $121 to $64. But once the clouds cleared? Indy’s All-Star Weekend emerged as perhaps the WNBA’s most valuable showcase yet.

And here’s why the final numbers might shock you…

Overall Economic Impact on Indianapolis

Indiana was already riding momentum. Just months ago, the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend pumped over $400 million into Central Indiana. A study by Temple University’s Sports Industry Research Center pegged it at $290.7M in direct and indirect spending, and $112.6M in earned media value — a 26% jump from pre-event estimates.

That weekend reportedly cost the city and Pacers Sports & Entertainment just $13 million to host.

Fast-forward to July. The WNBA All-Star Games, alongside the Indiana Black Expo, once again filled the city. Visit Indy’s EVP, Chris Gahl, estimated over 100,000 people downtown over the weekend.

Let’s break down where the growth really hit, beginning at the root…

Ticket and Merchandise Sales

• Those prices sound steep? Not for W fans. The selling queue had over 12,000 people in it within minutes of opening. And finally, the All-Star Game tickets were gone in just 5 short hours. Yep, completely sold out the same day they dropped. Moreover, the resale tickets were going between $179 and $996.

• The only thing left? Friday’s STARRY 3-Point Contest and Kia Skills Challenge at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, still had some seats at $57 when the main event sold out. And it wasn’t just basketball contests driving the buzz. The inaugural Fever Fest also sold out ahead of the July 19 weekend. It was a comedy and music bash hosted by Pacers Sports & Entertainment and Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat.
• Now, do the math with me. The main event’s average ticket price sits at $800.75. Multiply that by Gainbridge Fieldhouse’s 17,000 seats, and you’re staring at roughly $13.6 million in ticket revenue alone. That figure, before factoring in merch, concessions, or sponsorship dollars, is surely a statement.

Brand Activation Power

• EssentiallySports: Along with Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment, we helped turn Bullseye Events Center into a multimedia hub. The Indiana Fever’s Natasha Howard sat down with Josh Harwell from our team for a conversation.
• AT&T: Kicked off Changemaker Day at Indy Motor Speedway, a packed WNBA Live setup with A’ja Wilson and Sabrina Ionescu, fan shooting zones, and branded “M’VIP” nail bars.
• State Farm: Sponsored tunnel-walk lights and logo-shooting challenge at WNBA Live with Caitlin Clark, Juju Watkins, and “Jake from State Farm,” live leaderboards, giveaways, and a pedicab “Assist Fleet” around Indy.
• Google (Pixel + Search): Hosted interactive activations at WNBA Live with virtual try-ons, media-day photo shoots, Search Trends quizzes, and Courtside Chats with Kelsey Plum and A’ja Wilson.

Beyond these headliners, the weekend drew a who’s who of brand heavyweights. Everyone from Nike, Etsy to Ally, Foot Locker, American Express, Just Women’s Sports/Famous Footwear, Eli Lilly, Togethxr, The Female Quotient, and plenty more were present.

Local Investment Initiatives

Beyond the investments made in the main event’s organization and hospitality, the WNBA All-Star 2025’s local host committee put some real money back into Indiana. It pledged $1 million in grants to 4 local nonprofits. “We can’t wait to see these projects come to life and lift up our youth, families, and communities,” said Mel Raines, WNBA All-Star 2025 Founding Chair and Pacers Sports & Entertainment CEO.

Here’s how the $1 million is being put to work across the four beneficiaries:

• Fletcher Place Community Center: The Funding will go towards the expansion of community outreach programs. This will be with a focus on education access, family support services, and nutrition initiatives that will directly impact underserved youth and families in central Indiana.
• Marion County Commission on Youth (MCCOY): The grant will strengthen youth mentorship and leadership programs. It will help prepare the next generation for academic success, workforce readiness, and civic engagement.
• Marvella Foundation: This share of funding will bolster health and wellness initiatives. It will include the mental health and family support resources for vulnerable communities throughout Marion County.
• The Parks Alliance of Indianapolis (Al Polin Park Legacy Project): A major portion of the funding is dedicated to the transformation of Al Polin Park on Indy’s near Northside. It will be turned into a vibrant, playable community hub. The upgrades include: a resurfaced basketball court with custom artwork by local artist Kierra Ready, brand-new goals, rims, and backboards, and a youth basketball clinic.

All of this is to create “an impact that will last long after All-Star Weekend,”  as Mayor Joe Hogsett stated. Moreover, an additional $600,000 in upgrades will be funded by the $80 million Lilly Endowment Grant to Indy Parks. It will roll out by mid-2026.

Local Business Boom

As we know, about 70,000 people (excluding the IBE visitors) came to Indianapolis for Saturday’s All-Star Game. And when the people come, so do the demands: for beds, bites, and beers. Enter Indiana’s local restaurants, pubs, and hotels.

• The Omni Hotel reported a 95–100% running capacity throughout the weekend. Although the downtown restaurants and bars told 13News that while traffic was strong, it wasn’t exactly record-breaking.
• The District Tap, which is just down Georgia Street from the Fieldhouse, had steady business Friday and Saturday. But their service manager said, “It would’ve been tremendous to see her (Caitlin Clark) play, especially in Indianapolis, and what she has done for the WNBA in general… it would’ve brought in a lot of extra people just wanting to be here for the atmosphere.”
• Other establishments, like The Pub, said that events like All-Star Weekend help attract new faces from the suburbs. “We had a lot of people that don’t necessarily live downtown, like Carmel… we also made a lot of repeat customers.”

The growth you just witnessed is only a glimpse of Indiana’s boom. In fact, the ripple effect stretches far beyond one city. It’s league-wide.

Why It’s a Big Win for the WNBA

Post All-Star break, the league said that its viewership across its national TV partners (Ion, ESPN/ABC, and CBS) was up by 23% year-over-year. This also marked one of its strongest mid-season surges. Moreover, ESPN alone, despite ranking behind major networks like Fox News, ABC, and NBC in overall viewership, commanded a 0.735 million average audience.

In fact, ESPN’s WNBA social engagement has jumped 413% year-over-year. The fans have fueled a 361% spike in merchandise sales across the league. And the All-Star voting numbers paint the clearest picture of this shift:

• Just two years ago, A’ja Wilson led voting with 96,000 fan ballots, and the Las Vegas All-Star Game filled only three-quarters of a 12,000-seat arena.
• This year, Caitlin Clark shattered records with 1.3 million fan votes, and the 18,000-seat Gainbridge Fieldhouse sold out months in advance of the game.

Events like this raise the bar for every future host city and the whole league. This just means that the WNBA has stepped into a new tier of visibility and expectation. Which is why, Indy All-Star Weekend Might Be WNBA’s Most Valuable Showcase Yet.