Arena attendance figures and TV ratings tell us people want to see Caitlin Clark. Market experts at Caesars Sportsbook and BetMGM tell us that people want to make a WNBA bet on Clark, too.

The Indiana Fever rookie’s season ended Wednesday, Sept. 25, when her team fell 87-81 to the Connecticut Sun. The Fever’s playoff exit may dent WNBA betting markets at online betting apps, but not all of the new interest will disappear.

“A lot of the increase has been directed at Fever games, understandably,” David Lieberman said. “But it has also had a carryover, albeit smaller, to the rest of the games and teams as well.”

In fact, the Lead Basketball Oddsmaker at Caesars Sportsbook saw WNBA growth from the first tip of the season.

“The WNBA (2024 season) opener between the Connecticut Sun and Indiana Fever garnered more bets than any game of the 2023 WNBA season — including six times the amount of bets on Game 4 of the 2023 WNBA Finals,” he told Gaming Today.

WNBA betting remained strong throughout the 2024 season, even with a break for the Olympic Games in Paris. The pause helped a rested Clark and the Fever close out the regular season with nine wins in 14 games.

The Fever’s No. 6 seed in the WNBA playoffs gave bettors two more Clark games to wager on. That was good news for Sports Trader Hannah Luther at BetMGM Sportsbook.

“BetMGM experienced historic interest in the WNBA during the 2024 regular season with a 108% increase in betting year-over-year,” she said. “Caitlin Clark establishing herself as a star player — and veterans like Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson continuing to dominate — fueled the impressive growth.”

The Caitlin Clark Effect on WNBA Bets

Lieberman tracked Caitlin Clark betting at Caesars well before the No. 1 draft pick’s first professional shot. The guard with uncanny range and court vision created a sensation in her final two seasons at the University of Iowa.

The Hawkeyes reached back-to-back national championship games with Clark on the court.

“The tournament showed just how much interest there was in betting on women’s basketball,” Lieberman said. “And, it was obvious the Caitlin Clark mania that took over in the Women’s NCAA tournament would likely transfer over when she went pro and was playing in the WNBA. We were excited to be a part of that. The excitement definitely carried over from what we’ve seen.”

Clark’s transition to pro basketball also boosted player prop betting markets. Her fan base at Iowa couldn’t bet on Clark as a Hawkeye — bets on in-state college player stats are not allowed. Those same Iowans are free to bet on her numbers now that she’s a pro with the Fever.

“Consistent interest in Clark props and Fever moneylines, and a significant number of bets on the Fever outright make Clark’s influence on the league undeniable,” Luther from BetMGM said. “We expect these trends to carry over into the postseason, which is shaping up to be highly competitive and exciting.”

BetMGM users placed five times as many bets on Clark as they did on Chicago Sky rival Angel Reese, according to Luther.

Caitlin Clark Effect at BetMGM

108% increase in WNBA bets
Twice as many women betting on the WNBA
6 of the top 8 most-bet games involved the Indiana Fever

WNBA Bets For Caitlin Clark at Caesars

Bets on opening night for the WNBA were up 516%
Total handle was up 84% at Caesars Sportsbook
Clark’s prop bets attracted more handle than any of her career games at Iowa and more than any WNBA prop bets ever.

“It’s higher across the board,” Lieberman said. “Clark has injected a lot of excitement into the WNBA as far as betting markets go, and casual bettors were placing loads of bets on anything Clark-related — player props, Fever futures, Fever game lines, MVP, ROTY, etc. Interest is at an all-time high in WNBA betting.”

Caesars expanded its player props and player-performance markets due to the increased attention and interest.

“We’ve also increased our offerings on season win totals and make/miss playoff markets throughout the season, offering those markets more often than we had in the past in-season,” Lieberman said. “We are going to continue to think of new markets to offer to customers itching to bet on props and individual performances involving Clark and other stars around the league.”

The WNBA Playoffs continue Tuesday, Oct. 1, with a pair of Game 2 semifinals. The Las Vegas Aces will try to even their best-of-five series at the New York Liberty.

Minnesota also trails its semifinal 1-0, but the Lynx host the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday night.

Game 1 of the WNBA finals is set for Thursday, Oct. 10.