Call it the Caitlin Clark effect or the immense skills of the 2024 draft class, the WNBA as a whole has seen many profitable numbers this season. It is no joke that the league is seeing sold-out arenas day in and day out. Neither is the fact that rookies like the first overall pick, Angel Reese, Cameron Brink, and more are paving a path for future talents.

One way that it is quite visible how this group of athletes is doing so is by their marketability. According to the Sports Innovation Lab, the apparel market for women has reached a whopping $4 billion in the USA. However, there remains one issue that is continuously pinching everyone’s nerves.

Caitlin Clark and WNBA stars face slowed merch availability

A few days back, the Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark, who will be making a debut in the WNBA All-Star on July 20, sold out her jersey in just 17 minutes! She also sold out most sizes of her No. 22 Indiana jersey within an hour of her draft announcement. Indeed, as the WNBA legend Rebecca Lobo said, “This girl is a tsunami,” the 2x NPOY is proving her correct.

But among all this rise, one problem that everyone noticed was how the supplies did not get refilled. This meant that while there were fans waiting to snatch the merch, the product itself was not available.

Jessica Robertson, co-founder of Togethxr spoke about the lack of availability, “This is not a build it and they will come. This is a make it available because they are here and they’ve been here.” Reflecting on the issue, she also added, “It’s another example of how hard it has been to be a women’s sports fan.” Surely enough, SIL reports say that over 80% of the fans have mentioned that they would buy women’s sports products but they cannot find the desired option, especially in stores.

Examples of growth of women’s sports

Sue Bird’s co-founded Togethxr has also grasped the chance of their own. When the ‘The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon’ invited the WNBA legend, she created a line of her own there. These famous words were, “Everyone Watches Women’s Sports.” Over time, the brand has earned over $3 million in revenue through this $45 merch.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video