As Angel Reese participates in the WNBA Finals without Caitlin Clark, the question arises whether this reflects the so-called 'Reese effect.' For three years, Clark has been a pivotal figure in the sport, capturing attention and narrative despite Reese's assertion that fans also tune in to watch her. With Reese now in the spotlight during the Finals, former ESPN host Linda Cohn has highlighted that the situation is more complex than a mere comparison of the two players.
Read More
According to TickPick, the starting price for Game 3 of the WNBA Finals at State Farm Arena is set at $201, the highest for any Finals game to date. This has been dubbed the 'Angel effect' by NBA Central, contrasting Reese's influence against Clark's. However, Cohn expressed skepticism over the validity of these comparisons, questioning whether ticket prices alone justify the narrative. "People are already trying to compare the Angel Reese effect with a Caitlin Clark effect. And my question is: based on what exactly? A few ticket listings?" Cohn stated during her show.
Cohn's comments followed reports from GameTime indicating ticket prices for Games 3 and 4 would be $208 and $227, respectively. She emphasized that these numbers were determined by secondary market sellers, and do not necessarily reflect actual consumer willingness to pay.
Earlier this week, the Atlanta Dream, who are hosting the Finals, had not finalized an arena but are now set to use State Farm Arena, which accommodates 17,000 fans. During playoffs, they had not fully opened the upper sections, but for the Finals, all tickets are available. USA Today’s Meghan Hall reported an overwhelming demand, with approximately 42,000 fans queued during the Dream’s presale.
Despite this, Cohn cautioned against attributing the surge solely to Reese. "Angel Reese absolutely has her own following and her own impact on the sport. But if we’re going to make comparisons about who’s driving ticket sales, let’s compare actual ticket sales; let’s compare attendance…consistent demand over an entire season, not just a couple of Finals games," she remarked.
Notably, during the regular season, the Indiana Fever reported the third-highest attendance, while the Dream ranked 14th out of 15 teams. Cohn pointed out that the Dream's lower attendance numbers are partly due to their smaller home arena with only 3,500 seats. She stressed the significance of the WNBA Finals as a major event, saying that selling 17,000 tickets does not solely stem from Reese's appeal, as fans are also motivated by the team's championship chase.
Cohn emphasized the importance of the competitive aspect, noting that Atlanta fans are eager to witness their team succeed, having previously suffered losses in 2010, 2011, and 2013. This year, however, the Dream are perceived as serious contenders.
Front Office Sports reported that Thursday's presale tickets saw the get-in price drop significantly to $96 for Game 3 and $114 for Game 4 later in the day. In comparison, Game 1 of the Finals at Chase Center had a get-in price of $214 on Thursday. This competitive pricing points to potentially record-breaking ticket sales for the WNBA Finals, which reflect broader excitement surrounding the league.