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Ticket prices to see Caitlin Clark go for NCAA women's scoring record near record levels – USA TODAY
Editor’s note: What makes Caitlin Clark so special? Steph Curry, Maya Moore other hoops legends weigh in.
The demand to see Caitlin Clark this season has been high, but as she goes for the NCAA women’s scoring record in her next game, ticket prices to see the historic achievement are reaching near-record levels.
The cheapest ticket available to see No. 4 Iowa host Michigan on Thursday night is $337, according to TickPick as of Wednesday afternoon. On StubHub, courtside tickets could be purchased for $3,171 each with fees.
The average ticket price for that game since the start of the season is $321, which is the second-most expensive women’s basketball game of all time – college or WNBA – according to TickPick. But for tickets sold during just the last week, the average jumps to $521, showing demand rising as Clark nears the record.
The most expensive women’s basketball game of all time hasn’t even happened yet but also belongs to Clark and the Hawkeyes. It’s their senior night on March 3 when they face Ohio State. The cheapest ticket for that game as of Wednesday is $557. And the average price so far is $517.
“I call it Clarkonomics,” ESPN college hoops analyst Debbie Antonelli told USA TODAY Sports. “She’s driven the game to a whole new level by herself. No one has ever shown up to watch one player like they’re showing up for her.”
Clark, who has 3,520 career points and averages 32.2 points per game, is eight points away from the women’s scoring record, so she could very well break it Thursday night. She’s also in reach of the all-time record of 3,667 set by Pete Maravich in 1970.
It’s no surprise it costs hundreds of dollars to see Clark likely break Kelsey Plum’s record of 3,527 career points. But it hasn’t been cheap to see the superstar in action all season. Home games at Carver-Hawkeye Arena have been sold out, and the same nearly goes for road games. The past four road contests for Iowa have been sellouts, and the last two road games of the season are already sold out. Tickets on the secondary market for the final two road games at Indiana on Feb. 22 and Minnesota on Feb. 28 are at least $100.
“Caitlin Clark has become a phenomenon not just within women’s college sports, but college sports in general. Generally, it’s pretty rare for a single player to have this much of an impact on demand within the college space,” Brett Goldberg, co-CEO of TickPick, said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports. “It’s similar to the impact we see when LeBron (James) or (Stephen) Curry are on the road, she’s a must-see athlete.”
According to TickPick, seven of the top 10 most expensive women’s basketball games ever are Iowa women’s basketball home games, and they all are from this season:
◾ Ohio State at Iowa (March 3): $517
◾ Michigan at Iowa (Feb. 15): $394
◾ Illinois at Iowa (Feb. 25): $381
◾ Indiana at Iowa (Jan. 13): $273
◾ Northwestern at Iowa (Jan. 31): $256
◾ Alabama at South Carolina (Feb. 22): $190
◾ Nebraska at Iowa (Jan. 27): $173
◾ 2022 WNBA All-Star Game (July 10, 2022): $150
◾ Game 3 of the 2023 WNBA Finals: Las Vegas Aces at NY Liberty (Oct. 25, 2023): $148
◾ Penn State at Iowa (Feb. 8): $142
The Hawkeyes are coming off an 82-79 upset loss at Nebraska on Sunday, which was the most-watched women’s college basketball game in Fox Sports history. Tipoff for Thursday night is slated for 8 p.m. EST and will be streamed on Peacock.
USA TODAY Sports reporter Lindsay Schnell contributed to this report.
