An In-Depth Look at the Incredible Rise of WNBA Jersey Sales

By Jocelyn Alano June 12, 2024 11:18

Photo by AP Photo/Michael Conroy

WNBA Jersey sales have also skyrocketed of late, with the 2024 WNBA season underway, we have seen standout performances from rookies such as Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Cameron Brink. Merchandise sales are up an otherworldly 236% compared to last year, with Clark, Reese, and other rookies leading the charge by miles.

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Rookie Class Affecting Jersey Sales

The increase in fan engagement and merchandise sales can also be linked to standout players like Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever, Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky, and Cameron Brink of the Los Angeles Sparks. The rookie tandem, Clark and Reese, in particular, has greatly driven social media engagement and generated record jersey sales.

Statistical Insights

Viewership and Attendance
WNBA Season gets the highest attendance since 1998 Filling Arenas at 94%, Up 17% Over Last Year
Games on the league's various networks are averaging 1.32 million viewers, almost triple the 462,000 average for all of last season.
Hispanic and Black audiences fueled the ratings uptick, together growing viewing by 96% and 67%; a diverse and expanding fan base.

Online Engagement
There has been an increase of 613% in the monthly active users on the league app, which is a great sign for the popularity and engagement of the fans, particularly amongst young girls.
The league credited the 380% increase with their ongoing push into online spaces, through their social channels have garnered 157 million video views to date across seemingly endless clips and live streams during the first week of the season.

The Impact of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese

But perhaps most important this season have been Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, whose ascent to stardom has been a spark in turning the tide this year for the WNBA. Both their on-court presence and selling power serve as avenues for the league to bring in an expansive, more varied demographic. The former is not lost on the merchandise sales and overall growth of the league brought by the duo of rookies.

Future Prospects and Expected Rate of Growth

The powerful impact of the 2024 draft class suggests a bright future for female basketball brought on by the sparkling success of the 2024 season of the WNBA. The growth in audience, attendance, and merchandise sales of the league indicate that it would keep growing and hence would see more fan engagement. The story of jerseys sales saw a meteoric rise which reflected the attraction, value, and marketability of the WNBA.
To conclude, jersey sales have exploded throughout the 2024 WNBA season thanks in part to the immediate success of rookies including Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. The numbers and percentages clearly show the league is getting more popular and the rookie class has a large impact on merchandise sales. The growing list of rising stars has the WNBA looking to be in great shape and building towards the future as these young women make their impression on the world of women's basketball, realizing what they have the potential to become and how exciting their futures are in the league and for the fans.