Putting a month's worth of data behind what America's betting apps had already been disclosing anecdotally, Optimove Insights reported Tuesday that games featuring Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever resulted in a 380% increase in WNBA bet count over the baseline game during the month of May.
The highest increase in bet percentage over the baseline game, which featured the Washington Mystics and Seattle Storm, was a 544% wagering spike observed during a battle between the Fever and Connecticut Sun. Of the 43 games studied, nine involved the Fever – and the five most-bet games featured Indiana as an opponent.
Clark's effect on sports betting seems to be one that trickles down, as games in the study that did not involve the Fever showed a 162% increase in bet count over the baseline duel.
“Even before Caitlin Clark became the first rookie in WNBA history to record a triple-double in her July 6 game against the New York Liberty, her presence has been a major factor in boosting betting activity,” Optimove Vice President of Marketing Rony Vexelman said in a press release. “She highlights the importance of star power in driving fan engagement and betting interest. Sophisticated sports betting operators and marketers pay close attention to key players like Caitlin Clark, as their influence extends beyond the game and into the broader betting ecosystem.”
Reese's Record Overshadows Clark's Success
While Saturday's loss to New York was the first in which Clark produced a triple-double, she's been threatening that threshold virtually every night since mid-June, averaging a gaudy 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 7.4 assists on the season.
But her old college rival, fellow rookie Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky, has managed to at least match Clark headline-for-headline in roughly that span. On Sunday, the former LSU star set a WNBA record with her 13th consecutive double-double. She’s now leading the league in rebounding with an average of 12 per game.
Just two weeks ago, Clark was -1000 at bet365 to be named WNBA Rookie of the Year, while Reese sat at 6/1.
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At the time, longtime Vegas bookmaker and WNBA superfan Robert Walker told Sports Handle, “I think I would take 6/1 on Angel Reese all day long before I laid 10/1 on Caitlin Clark.”
Walker also called Reese a “generational rebounder.”
Riding the wave of her double-double streak, Reese's odds are currently down to +240 at bet365, while Clark is still favored – albeit far more narrowly – at -330.