Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have done a lot for the WNBA in their rookie seasons with their play on the court drawing record TV ratings and helping pack arenas.
Now you can add lifting merchandise sales to that list.
The WNBA’s retail partner, Fanatics, told TMZ on Tuesday that it has had a 500 percent increase in business during the first half of the season and a 1,000 percent spike in player-specific sales versus what it sold last year.
Unsurprisingly, Clark and Reese are the No. 1 and No. 2 players, respectively, in player-specific merchandise sales.
The two WNBA superstars have generated headlines and drawn eyeballs wherever they’ve gone this season, and the rivalry between the two rookies has driven increased interest in the league as well.
“Fan gear sales for the first half of the season are the highest in league history,” Fanatics told TMZ.
While Clark and Reese have steered clear of fanning the flames over the perceived rivalry in the media, games against the two have become must-watch events for sports fans.
During this past weekend’s WNBA All-Star Game festivities in Phoenix, the pair played with one another and impressed fans when Clark connected with Reese on a no-look pass in the fourth quarter.
Reese was asked about the chance to play alongside Clark during the ESPN broadcast of the game.
“It’s so cool, I know when she gets the ball I’m running looking for the ball because I know she’s gonna throw it,” Reese said. “So, she’s been great to play with. I mean, the future — we’re going to be playing with each other a lot. Hopefully, in four years we’ll be Olympians together.”
The two superstars are also front-runners for WNBA Rookie of the Year honors.
Among some of the other players who have had the top-performing merchandise sales this season, Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu was the third top-selling player.
The merchandise news comes after the WNBA has the framework of a new 11-year media rights agreement with Amazon, Disney and NBC worth $2.2 billion.
The second half of the WNBA season begins on Aug. 15.