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Report reveals how Paige Bueckers is having profound 'Caitlin Clark effect' on WNBA

Originally posted on The Spun | By Tzvi Machlin | Last updated Apr 16, 2025 7:45 PM ET

While it may be hard or downright impossible to replicate the "Caitlin Clark effect" that the WNBA's Indiana Fever enjoyed last year, newly minted Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers is certainly close to it.

According to TMZ Sports, an executive at the SeatGeek ticket reseller revealed that the Wings have seen their ticket sales and prices spike in a big way. Bueckers was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, and the Wings wasted no time bringing her into the fold.

Chris Leyden, the Director of Category Marketing at SeatGeek, told the outlet that there was a 905 percent surge in traffic to Wings game prices.

"That surge comes alongside a 905% increase in traffic vs. the prior day, showing just how quickly fan excitement is converting to demand," Leyden said.

Per the report, Vivid Seats saw a price increase of 38 percent over last season along with a 920 percent rise in tickets back when the Wings were awarded the No. 1 pick in the draft. The outlet noted that the Indiana Fever saw a comparatively smaller increase of 60-percent.

Tickets to the first WNBA meeting between Bueckers and Clark are going to be hard to come by without breaking the bank. TMZ further reported that Vivid Seats is selling tickets to the first Wings-Fever game of 2025 for an average of $449.

Bueckers became a superstar at UConn during her five years under Geno Auriemma. While she may not have broken as many records as Clark did during her time in college, she was no less dominant.

Over her four full seasons, she was a three-time unanimous All-American and a two-time winner of the Nancy Lieberman award. She was the Big East Player of the Year three times.

On a numbers level, she averaged just shy of 20 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game over 123 games.

Perhaps the Paige Bueckers effect will hit the WNBA someday soon.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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