Magic Johnson, the legendary former Lakers great and current majority owner of the Los Angeles Sparks, gave his thoughts on Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese’s impact on basketball, specifically the WNBA.
In a phone conversation with The Associated Press, Johnson discussed how these two players changed the face of college basketball and are now making waves in the pro league.
“Those two, particularly Caitlin, are definitely a direct result of what’s going on in the WNBA,” Johnson told Doug Feinberg of the Associated Press. “They have altered college basketball. The ratings and figures do not deceive. Then we see it right now, with more Caitlin than Angel entering the league since she is selling out arenas. Caitlin’s salary is $19,000. Angel hasn’t arrived yet, but I’m confident she will.
Clark and the Indiana Fever have the league’s highest road attendance, averaging more than 15,000 fans away from home. The Fever-Mercury game in Phoenix drew a sellout crowd of 17,071 on Sunday night. The Fever’s game against the Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday has been shifted to the larger T-Mobile Arena to meet overwhelming demand and will be nationally televised.
Similarly, Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky have the second-highest average road attendance, with approximately 10,500 fans. Johnson’s Sparks, which include youngsters Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson, are barely behind Chicago in terms of attendance, averaging more than 10,000 fans per game.
Johnson, who helped revitalize the NBA with Larry Bird in the 1980s, sees connections between his era and Clark and Reese’s present impact. The 1979 NCAA championship game between Johnson’s Michigan State and Bird’s Indiana State is still the most watched game in NCAA history, and their rivalry helped raise the NBA’s popularity. Johnson believes Clark and Reese will bring similar excitement and growth to the WNBA.
“I think what we were able to do, the NBA was down, we were able to change it forever,” Mr. Johnson remarked. “We also put the madness in March because that game is still the No. 1 watched game all-time — Indiana State vs. Michigan State.”
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese’s rivalry is excellent for the WNBA.
Clark and Reese have become major draws for WNBA games, with some games being moved to larger arenas to accommodate ticket demand. Their teams met in Chicago on June 23, resulting in the highest average price for a WNBA ticket in the past decade, with seats averaging $351, according to Vivid Seats.
Both players are also turning rookie of the year into a two-player competition. Clark, Indiana’s overall No. 1 choice, averages 16.2 points, 6.9 assists, and 5.7 rebounds. Reese, the No. 7 pick by Chicago, has 10 consecutive double-doubles and leads the league in rebounding, averaging 13.3 points and 11.4 rebounds.
Dwyane Wade, a Sky co-owner, mentioned the additional challenge Clark and Reese have with the increased focus from social media.
“You have fan bases drawn to Caitlin Clark because of who she is and what she represents and you have fan bases drawn to Angel Reese because of who she is and what she represents which brings in more attention, more sellouts, more jersey sellouts,” Wade told the crowd.
Johnson sees Clark and Reese’s growing popularity as an opportunity to improve the women’s game and raise pay, comparable to the impact he and Bird had on the NBA. Johnson is bullish about the WNBA’s future, as the league looks to clinch a new television contract after next season.
“It’s great for the women’s game, it’s the most excited I’ve been because I see the game growing,” Johnson told ESPN. “Before, we did not have growth. But now we have growth. These two are definitely helping.”
