When Caitlin Clark joined the Indiana Fever in 2024, she drew millions in viewership for the WNBA. That benefited the Fever immensely, who sold out 16 of their 20 home games. An 80% sellout rate unprecedented for the franchise. Since then, however, it has been a downward spiral. And this season is shaping up to be the worst one yet in terms of home ticket sales.
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As shared by basketball page I Talk Hoops on X, the Indiana Fever sold out just 8 of 20 home games last season in 2025, a sellout rate of 40 percent. And this season, after already playing 13 home games, they have sold out Gainbridge Fieldhouse only twice. That is a sellout rate of just 15.4 percent, and currently shows an 80.75% overall decline.
This downtrend links directly back to Caitlin Clark’s availability. Last season, Clark ended up playing just 13 games before getting sidelined in July for the rest of the season due to a groin injury. That meant fans who purchased tickets to see the league’s biggest star were left disappointed.
This season, Clark was doing better and played 20 games before injuring her back on June 24. Since then, she has missed 4 of the 24 games the Fever have played so far.
Although Caitlin Clark is fit enough to play, she hasn’t played a full game since June 24. Coach Stephanie White has placed her on a tight load-management and minute restriction plan. The idea is to protect her long-term health ahead of a potential postseason run.
The effect of that on the game-day experience has been notable. In their recent game against the Sparks, she played just 16 minutes. During last Sunday’s Aces game, she was only on the court for 24 minutes. In other words, fans paying to watch Caitlin Clark are frequently getting well under half a game of her.
Beyond the minute management, there have also been several question marks surrounding Clark’s performance this season. Stephanie White‘s defensive system has required her to take on more defensive duties. That has exposed her to an unusually high number of fouls and physical contact.
So while Clark is still breaking records, like becoming the fastest WNBA player to reach 600 assists, the shifting role and frequent injury scares may have affected fans’ confidence and reflected in declining ticket sales.