The Sparks were poised to host Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever on May 24 at the snug Walter Pyramid, a venue that seats 4,000.
It was an odd choice that left lots of potential revenue on the table, as other WNBA teams tried to maximize the number of seats they had available for games featuring Clark, college basketball’s all-time scoring leader and the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft.
With the Lakers, Clippers and Kings knocked out of the playoffs, the Sparks announced they moved the game against the Fever along with contests against the Dallas Wings on May 26 and Minnesota Lynx on June 5 to Crypto.com Arena. The venue seats 19,067 for basketball games.
Season-ticket holders will have early access to purchase additional tickets starting Tuesday and single-game tickets will be available to the general public on Thursday at 8 a.m. PDT.
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Clark’s college games set attendance records and ticket orders spiked around the league as soon as she announced she was entering the WNBA draft. The Indiana Fever selected her with the No. 1 pick, headlining a star-studded draft class that included the Sparks’ No. 2 pick Cameron Brink and No. 4 pick Rickea Jackson.
When asked about potentially moving the game during the Sparks’ recent media day, general manager Raegan Pebley said team officials understood the interest and demand for tickets that has been steadily growing.
“This is an incredible class, we’re going to see continued classes start to rotate into the WNBA in the years to come. Again, that’s part of the impact of a Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker and all the other Sparks that have come before,” Pebley said. “But absolutely, we’re very aware of the energy surrounding the WNBA and positioning ourselves in an arena and an atmosphere that this game right now deserves.”
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The Sparks will still play their season opener May 15 against the Atlanta Dream and a May 21 game against the Washington Mystics at Walter Pyramid on the Long Beach State campus.
“We appreciate the partnership that we have built with Long Beach State and are excited to open our 2024 season in front of the Long Beach community,” Sparks president Christine Monjer said in a statement. “Women’s basketball is experiencing unprecedented viewership and attendance numbers so moving these games back to Crypto.com Arena provides us the ability to have more fans in the stands and have our players back to competing on their home floor.”
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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