Numbers behind Caitlin Clark's economic impact are so staggering they seem fake

Every so often, an enigma emerges that completely flips the sports world on its head. Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark is the perfect example of such a phenomenon. The impact Clark has not just on the WNBA, but basketball in the greater scheme, is almost incomparable.

It doesn't take an economic analyst to tell you that Clark has had a massive impact on the popularity of the WNBA. And it started well before she went pro. Clark first captured the imagination of sports fans at the University of Iowa. Now, she is one of the most famous faces of basketball in just her second pro season.

Clark's economic impact on the WNBA is obvious yet the actual numbers are still mind-boggling. Dr. Ryan Brewer, who is the division head and associate professor of finance at Indiana University Columbus, recently told the Indy Star that Clark alone accounts for 26.5% of all WNBA economic activity.

In an interview with Andrew Greif of NBC News, Brewer shared some tangible numbers that are, quite frankly, shocking.

"If things just go as they were, and we have an expanded season of 22 home games with modest inflation, I’m looking at $875 [million]. And I could easily see that eclipsing a billion dollars on the economic impact of Caitlin Clark this year."

Caitlin Clark may be worth a billion dollars to the WNBA

As staggering as these numbers are, are they really shocking? Clark's popularity isn't isolated to just the WNBA fanbase. Heck, her popularity isn't isolated to just basketball fans. She is a sports enigma whose reach spans across pop culture.

Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Shohei Ohtani, Tom Brady. These are all athletes who have had a similar impact on their sports. Clark is following in their footsteps, and you can make a real case that her impact on her specific league is bigger than what those athletes achieved.

Brewer continued by estimating that the Fever are worth $340 as a franchise. Just a year ago, Sportico tabbed their franchise evaluation at $90 million. That's a quarter-of-a-billion dollars in financial growth, which is 277% year-over-year.

Clark isn't just an elite player who can elevate the Fever to their first championship in franchise history. She is the face of a league that deserves far more than it has been given in the past, and is the face of a sport that has been male-dominated throughout its history.

Caitlin Clark is an enigma. Anyone suggesting otherwise is denying the history that is happening right in front of their own eyes.