The Chicago Sky were hoping to make WNBA history this weekend, but Caitlin Clark’s injury might derail that dream.
The Indiana Fever rookie phenom suffered a quad injury during a nail-biting 90–88 loss to the New York Liberty on May 24. The Fever announced she would be re-evaluated in two weeks, meaning her return could come as early as Tuesday, June 10, in Atlanta. But in the meantime, she’s expected to miss Saturday’s matchup against the Sky.
Sky’s United Center Move Now in Jeopardy
Banking on Caitlin Clark’s star power, the Sky moved the game to Chicago’s United Center, hoping to break the WNBA’s all-time single-game attendance record. The current record, 20,711 fans. And this was set just weeks ago when Clark and the Fever faced the Washington Mystics at Capital One Arena.
With a capacity of 20,917, the United Center seemed poised to top that number. But once Caitlin Clark’s injury was confirmed, ticket demand collapsed on the secondary market.
Ticket Prices Plummet Without Clark
According to TickPick, prices dropped by an average of 70% within 48 hours of the injury announcement. Upper-level seats that were originally going for $125 are now listed for under $20 on SeatGeek.
Despite the plummeting prices, Saturday’s game remains close to a sell-out. However, it may only break the Sky’s franchise record of 16,444, set in 2016. And fall short of the league’s historic milestone.
WNBA Still Hopeful for Clark’s Return
The Fever hope to have Clark back for their next game on June 10 in Atlanta. That matchup will take place at the more intimate Gateway Center Arena, not the larger State Farm Arena where the Dream hosted earlier season games.
For now, the WNBA and the Sky are both learning a hard truth: Caitlin Clark’s presence isn’t just a bonus, it’s a game-changer for ticket sales and fan engagement.
