If I asked you the question, “What active professional athlete has more of an impact than LeBron James today?” what would your answer be?
It can range from several game-changing athletes like Patrick Mahomes, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Shohei Ohtani, and Connor McDavid; but what about Caitlin Clark?
The second-year phenom of the WNBA's Indiana Fever has taken the sports world by storm. It’s shown in the numbers — Clark is generating bets at an astronomical rate surpassing everyone including LeBron James.
Nick Chappell of Hard Rock Bet detailed how Clark has affected the way bettors approach their wagers.
It’s no secret that the WNBA has grown significantly over the past five years, but a lot of that has to do with Clark. The way she can put the basketball on a string and handle her way through traffic is nothing short of amazing. But not only that, she’s one of, if not the most lethal 3-point shooter in the sport today.
And bettors are taking notice.
According to Chappell, there’s a 40% increase in bets whenever Clark takes the floor in 2025. Not only that, the average Fever game with Clark in the lineup generates a 28.6% boost in handle compared to when she’s not suiting up.
The research that Hard Rock pulled was mind-blowing, and it shows how much of an impact Clark has on not only the game of basketball, but the betting handle as well.
When it’s ruled that Clark is active, 18.4% of all bets in the game are placed on her player props and that includes general wagers like moneyline picks, over/unders, and spreads.
That’s the highest percentage of bets centered around a single player by at least 3.5%. The next closest in player-prop handle is NBA MVP, Finals MVP, and NBA Champion Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who accounts for 14.5% of all bets.
Tailing Clark and SGA are James, Aaron Judge, and Mahomes.
There’s no denying that the WNBA is full of stars. Angel Reese is one of them, along with A’ja Wilson, Sabrina Ionescu, Napheesa Collier, and more. But Clark is the one bettors keep coming to.
She currently has at least a 50% stranglehold on MVP and scoring title futures on Hard Rock and the betting handle on both.
Not only that, but the Fever are the center of WNBA futures, securing 73% of the handle and 45% of the tickets, with the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty next on the list and trailing by at least 35%.
Who would’ve thought the young player from Des Moines would become such a global phenom? People are taking notice of just how dynamic she can be, and it’s showing in the market.
Chappell dubs her “the market mover,” and it’s hard to argue. She and the Fever are dominating the WNBA tickets. And the crazy part? This is just her second year in the league.
