Want to sell something? Tell a story. It’s a timeless truth. Stories hit people on an emotional level, making your product stick in their minds and feel more relatable. A good story can show off a product’s perks and value way better than just listing facts about it. After 28 years, the WNBA finally has the story and as a result, it has seen its popularity skyrocket in just a few months. What’s the story, you ask? Some call it “The Caitlin Clark Effect”, which is true, but we have to acknowledge the “Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese Rivalry”. You see, both go hand in hand. Whether they like it or not, these two women will always be connected by their rivalry, and the sport owes them big time for it. In football, LaLiga’s viewership peaked over a nine-year period, thanks to the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo rivalry. Fans around the world, even those who didn’t care about Barcelona or Real Madrid, picked sides—#TeamMessi or #TeamRonaldo. As a result, the El Clasico was a must-watch, rivalling viewership numbers of some of the greatest sporting events in the world. But maybe a better comparison comes from the NBA. **Bird vs Magic and the birth of the modern NBA** The rivalry between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson is often credited with boosting the NBA’s popularity in the 1980s. As young players, Bird was famous for his shooting, intelligence, and clutch plays, while Magic was known for his playmaking, versatility, and charisma. Their rivalry started in college when Magic’s Michigan State team beat Bird’s Indiana State team in the 1979 NCAA Championship, one of the most-watched games in college basketball history. This rivalry carried over to the NBA, with Bird joining the Boston Celtics and Magic joining the Los Angeles Lakers, two fierce rivals. Prior to their arrival, the NBA struggled with low viewership and mainstream appeal in the late ‘70s; for instance, the 1980 NBA Finals (Magic’s rookie year) averaged about 6 million viewers. With Bird and Magic joining the league, things changed quickly. The 1984 NBA Finals, featuring Bird’s Celtics and Magic’s Lakers, averaged 12.1 million viewers, and the 1987 NBA Finals saw even higher numbers - 14.7 million viewers. The Bird and Magic rivalry brought new life to the NBA and set the stage for its global popularity, paving the way for future superstars like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James. These men would go down as two of the greatest players to set foot on a basketball court and by the time they retired in the early ‘90s, the NBA had become a major force in professional sports. **The reinvention of the WNBA** The WNBA is having its own Bird and Magic moment, with a captivating story and rivalry that has millions tuning in and finally giving the league the attention it deserves. Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese’s rivalry kicked off in college, just like Bird and Magic, with Reese’s LSU defeating Clark’s Iowa State in the 2023 NCAA Championship. That game became iconic for Reese’s “You Can’t See Me!” taunt aimed at Clark. Clark got some payback the next year in the Final Four, but lost again in the final. However, both ladies left their mark by helping grow women’s college basketball, with the viewership surpassing the men’s for the first time. In terms of the economic effect, Caitlin Clark alone is estimated to have generated $82.5 million in her last three seasons at Iowa. The good news for our online betting community is that you too can win big like Iowa State. BetKing has multiple markets on WNBA games, all available at the best odds and you can take advantage of this. Whether it’s Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever or Angel Reese’s Chicago Sky, we have all games covered. [**Click Here to Bet on WNBA Games**](https://m.betking.com/sports/events/prematch/basketball/usa/wnba)
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese’s impact on the WNBA has been immediate. Both players have been voted All-Stars, marking the first time since 2014 that two rookies have made the All-Star team in the same season. But their success isn’t just about their rivalry or popularity; they’re both breaking records and making a difference on and off the court in Indiana and Chicago. They’ve truly earned their spots. Earlier this week, Angel Reese set a WNBA record for most consecutive double-doubles (11), which is still ongoing. Caitlin Clark is the youngest player in WNBA history to record back-to-back double-doubles with points and assists, the only player in the league averaging 15/5/5, and she has set an Indiana Fever franchise record 140 assists, with 19 games still to go. Economically, Caitlin has had a massive impact similar to her time in Iowa. Professionals estimate she has added $100 million to the economy of Indianapolis since joining the Fever. Also, six networks (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, CBS, ION, and NBATV) have all set WNBA viewership records, thanks to the Caitlin Clark Effect. **The Best WNBA Players To Bet On** One important thing to note, however, is that the WNBA is more than just Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. While the two rookies are easily the shining lights of the W, they’re still rookies learning their way at the highest level and there are several players still better than the duo. Similar to how Larry Bird and Magic Johnson helped spotlight a league led by legends like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Julius Erving, and Nate Archibald, Clark and Reese are shedding light on a league with some of the best players in the history of basketball. Leading the pack is reigning two-time league MVP, A’ja Wilson. The 27-year-old Power Forward is widely considered the best player in the world and is having what many call “statistically the best season in WNBA history.” Fueled by missing out on last year’s MVP award and getting a fourth-place vote from one voter, the self-proclaimed Pettiest Hooper in the Game is on a revenge mission this season. Last month, she set the league record for most consecutive 20+ point games (20) and is the only player in WNBA history to average 25+ PPG and 10+ RPG in multiple months. Oh, and she’s also been named Western Conference Player of the Month twice this season. Having helped the Las Vegas Aces win back-to-back titles, she’s now aiming for a three-peat, something we haven’t seen since the now-defunct Houston Comets won four in a row in the league’s early days.
The one team likely to dethrone the Las Vegas Aces is the New York Liberty. They’ve been to five WNBA finals, losing all of them, including last year’s. Led by two-time champion Breanna Stewart, sharpshooter Sabrina Ionescu, five-time All-Star Jonquel Jones, and Courtney Vandersloot, who has led the league in assists in seven different seasons, the Liberty are determined to finally bring a championship to New York. They currently lead the league standing with a 17-3 record, and our bet of the day is for them to break the curse at the end of the season.
There are other incredible players worth keeping an eye on as they’re a bettor’s delight. This list includes 2021 Finals MVP Kahleah Copper (Phoenix Mercury), last season’s scoring champion Jewell Loyd (Seattle Storm), two-time Champion Kelsey Plum (Las Vegas Aces), and the reigning rebounding champion Alyssa Thomas (Connecticut Sun). However, the two players we’ll like to highlight are the Nigerian-born duo Arike Ogunbowale (Dallas Wings) and Nneka Ogwumike (Seattle Storm). Arike Ogunbowale, an exciting guard in the prime of her career, is what the kids call “a walking bucket.” She scored 20+ points in ten consecutive games to start the season, passing the nine-game record set by Cynthia Cooper in 1999. Nneka Ogwumike is a 34-year-old veteran with a rich resume. She’s a 9-time All-Star, former league MVP, and Champion. She has the Storm sitting at #2 in the Western Conference and #4 overall. Many believe they will be strong contenders in the playoffs. With the NBA on a break, the WNBA is the perfect league to fill that spot. They play hard—scratch that—they play harder than the men (and they flop less), making their games even more exciting to watch. Many of their stars will also be on Team USA at the [Olympics](https://m.betking.com/sports/basketball/leagues/prematch/olympic-basketball), where they are expected to win their 10th Gold Medal and 8th in a row. Be sure to check out our blog to get updated betting tips during the Olympics!
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