July 20 in Phoenix. Mark your dates for the much anticipated WNBA All-Star game. This year due to the Paris Olympics, the game will be played between Team USA and the WNBA All-Star team. One of the most attractive elements of this year’s All-Star contest is that the rivals Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark will ply their trade next to each other in the same team. Therefore, the craze for the game is such that it might culminate in breaking a few records.

Today, let’s take a look at the five major records that might be broken due to WNBA rookies Clark and Reese. And how that might impact the WNBA game for the coming generations.

Attendance

As per Statistica, the WNBA All-Star games have attracted a lot of crowds since its inception in 1999. The highest-grossing attendance has been in the years 2002 and 2007. While the Western Conference won the game by an 81-76 margin, the Eastern Conference emerged victorious in 2007 by a 103-99. Both times the games were held in Washington DC. The 2002 game was hosted by the MCI Center and the 2007 match took place at the Verizon Center. As per Statistica, both the games had an attendance of 19,487.

But in the current era, the attendance for WNBA games has declined. The 2023 WNBA game drew a crowd of 9,472 which was the sixth lowest attendance since its beginning in 1999. Therefore, with Clark and Reese’s emergence the numbers could change and the All-Star game could revive. The Footprint Center which has a capacity of 18,422 could become the highest attended game since 2009. Another important aspect to note is that the game has already been announced as a sellout.

Ticket Price

The Indiana Fever clash with Chicago Sky in mid-June, 2024 had the costliest ticket as per CNN.com (h/t: Sports Business Journal). The most expensive ticket on sale was around $9,000. The Sky had won the match by a narrow margin of 88-87 at the Winstrust Arena in Chicago. However, this WNBA All-Star game could break that record. While the game has been a sellout, the tickets are available at Vivid Seats.

The prices of the tickets are on the upper end with the most affordable one at $160 in Row 14 while the most expensive tickets cost around $11,384 in Row 1 Lower Level 114. Hence, this game already looks to be breaking the costliest ticket record. And why not? Since it will feature the two most loved WNBA rookies playing together.

Viewership

The same game in which the Sky won by an 88-87 margin in mid-June, apart from having the highest ticket prices, was also the most watched game. As per Forbes, the match airing on ESPN had a peak viewership of 3.3 million with an average of 2.3 million. This was, therefore, the most-watched WNBA game in 23 years.

The upcoming contest between Team USA and WNBA All-Stars will feature 24 accomplished players who are the best in their trade. The viewership therefore might break more records as it will feature Clark and Reese due to whom the outing was heavily watched in mid-June, along with an array of exceptional athletes which add the cherry to the cake.

The WNBA All-Star Team might defeat Team USA

The Team USA has been at loggerheads with the WNBA All-Star team thrice in the past. The first instance was in 2004 when the game was played at the Radio City. Team USA had defeated the WNBA All-Star team by a 74-58 margin. Next, they squared off against each other in 2010. Team USA once again swept the WNBA All-Star team off their feat and emerged victorious by a 99-72 margin.

The third instance of Team USA contending with the WNBA team was in 2021 at the Michelob Ultra Arena in which Team USA lost by a 93-85 margin. Hence, this might just be the second instance in the WNBA history that the All-Star team might defeat Team USA. The All-Star team is loaded with the likes of Clark, Reese, Jonquel Jones, Aliyah Boston, Dearica Hamby, and Nneka Ogwumike. Hence, there is a probability that the WNBA All-Star team might emerge triumphant in this contest.

Highest three-pointer percentage in the three-pointer contest

As is the tradition, the WNBA All-Star game will take place on July 20 while the three-pointer contest will begin with the WNBA weekend on July 19. Over the years, the highest three-pointer percentage was achieved by Sabrina Ionescu who scored 92.5% three-pointers in 2023. While a lot of people might think that this record is for ages, the rookie Clark can demolish this tally.

Clark can often be seen practicing her three-pointer skills before the game and is known for her signature logo threes. Therefore, there are chances that Ionescu will get tough competition from Clark in this WNBA All-Star Weekend. And who knows, she might even trump the original three-pointer queen with her astounding display.

Currently, this season, Clark has hit 60 three-pointers in the 22 games she has played which is a good number. Hopefully, in the upcoming All-Star weekend, Clark will be able to break records and stand tall for her talent.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.