The Indiana Fever blew away the Chicago Sky like their rivals were a house of cards—93-58 in their season opener on May 17—but that’s not what set the internet on fire. The real drama? A flagrant foul, a stare-down, and the kind of social media chaos that only Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese can guarantee. As boos echoed through Gainbridge Fieldhouse and X turned into Judge Judy, Rachael DeMita nailed the mood: “No. Not again.” Because what the WNBA did next had Dave Portnoy storming in like a ringside lawyer yelling “Objection!”—defending Fever fans like they were the last golden goose on Earth.

A recent statement by the league declared, “The WNBA strongly condemns racism, hate, and discrimination in all forms — they have no place in our league or in society.”  The Fever echoed support: “We stand firm in our commitment to providing a safe environment for all WNBA players.” The Women’s National Basketball Players Association backed the investigation, too, saying, “Such behavior is unacceptable in our sport.” The Sky’s front office followed suit, vowing to “protect Chicago Sky players.”

And well, Portnoy responded, loudly,

“The @WNBA can’t get out of their own way,” the Barstool Sports founder posted on X.. “To issue a statement in response to trolls is a joke. It makes @IndianaFever fans look bad for no reason. It’s like they won’t be happy till they kill the golden goose. (If I’m wrong I’ll apologize and eat my words but I’m 100% right).”

And he could be right in a way; the league might be killing the golden goose by antagonizing the fever fans. Here’s why: Ryan Brewer, associate professor of finance at Indiana University, says Caitlin Clark drove 26.5% of the WNBA’s 2024 economic activity—attendance, merchandise, and TV. One in every six tickets sold was for a Fever game. TV viewership for Fever games surged 300%, accounting for 45% of total broadcast value. Merchandise sales jumped 500%, with Clark leading the charts, of course. Fever’s average attendance hit a record 17,036 per game, totaling 340,715 for the season. Clark’s games drew 1.2 million viewers on average, triple the audience when she’s off the court.

But shouldn’t fans be held accountable if they’re yelling slurs? Well, from Portnoy’s courtside perspective, the crowd wasn’t a mob of hecklers—it was families, “little girls… ladies, nice crowd.” Yes, fans booed, and yes, the game was tense. But slurs? Well, according to Dave, there’s not an ounce of proof to it, “there’s not a video of it, there’s not a camera phone of it. Unless something happened, which I know it didn’t,” 

To Portnoy, this was the league turning on its own surge in popularity. And he wasn’t alone. YouTuber Mick Talks Hoops said, “If they believe that fans heckling is creating an unsafe environment, then you don’t want fans.” This isn’t even new for Fever fans. Last year, Connecticut’s DiJonai Carrington called them the “nastiest fans” in the league. Alyssa Thomas backed her up, saying she’d “never experienced” anything like that from another fan base.

So, who’s really killing the vibe? The fans—or the league itself?

Dave Portnoy cashed in on Clark — and so did the WNBA.

Whichever way you slice it, one thing’s crystal clear: Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever aren’t just playing basketball—they’re printing money for the WNBA. Still skeptical? Ask Dave Portnoy. While Indiana was buzzing over the Fever’s 35-point demolition of the Chicago Sky, Portnoy was cashing in a different kind of victory—banking a staggering $350,000 on a $25,000 bet that Clark would score a triple-double in the season opener. That payday alone out-earns every WNBA player’s entire 2025 salary. (The highest earner? Jackie Young of the Las Vegas Aces, raking in $252,450.)

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Because ticket prices don’t lie—and neither does the crowd—the “Caitlin Clark Effect” is rewriting Indiana basketball history in ways nobody saw coming. Fever regular-season tickets average $149, outpacing even Pacers playoff games at $131. Mind-blowing? Even more so when you realize Fever tickets are 107% pricier than Pacers regular-season seats. Why? Because Clark isn’t just a star; she’s a seismic force. The 2024 WNBA No.1 draft pick transformed the Fever into a beacon for fans hungry for electrifying, high-stakes hoops.

On May 17, 2025, a tidal wave of 17,274 Fever fans flooded Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the opener against Chicago. Just days before, the Pacers locked down a 114-105 playoff victory over the Cavaliers in Game 5, pulling in 19,432 fans at Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Sure, the Pacers had a slight edge on enemy turf—but the Fever’s sellout crowds and soaring ticket prices tell a bold new story: women’s basketball isn’t just catching up—it’s smashing the scoreboard and rewriting the rulebook.