Caitlin Clark passes LeBron James in jersey sales, further exposing WNBA’s marketing problem

If you’re wondering whether the WNBA has finally figured out how to profit from its own Michael Jordan, here’s a quick reminder: The league’s marketing department recently refused to even put Caitlin Clark in the promotional graphic for an Indiana Fever game.

The joke is officially on them.

Newly released Fanatics retail data proves that while WNBA executives continue to market Caitlin Clark with disdain, fans are overwhelmingly spending their money on her.

CAITLIN CLARK’S INDIANA FIRE SOLD 90 TIMES MORE TICKETS AT STUBHUB THIS YEAR COMPARED TO 2023

Clark has officially taken the No. 2 spot for most basketball jerseys sold in the United States, ahead of global icons like LeBron James, Luka Dončić, and Victor Wembanyama.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark shoots at Seattle Storm guard Zia Cooke in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on May 17, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)

The only player currently selling more jerseys than Clark? Golden State’s Stephen Curry.

Let that sink in for a second. She surpasses WNBA guard LeBron James for the third straight year.

But if you followed the WNBA’s official marketing, you wouldn’t even know it existed.

WNBA FINALLY CELEBRATES CAITLIN CLARK’S STARSHIP WITH A UNIQUE NATIONAL TV PROGRAM

The retail sales figures emerged just days after the league’s social media department sparked a backlash with one of the strangest promotional decisions imaginable.

Ahead of the highly anticipated Fever-Storm matchup, the WNBA released an exciting graphic featuring Seattle’s Zia Cooke and Indiana rookie reserve guard Raven Johnson.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark celebrates a basket in the first half against the Seattle Storm at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on May 17, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)

Noticeably absent? Caitlin Clark… the player who generated record ratings, ticket demand and merchandise sales across the league.

Fans angered the league for somehow managing to sideline women’s basketball’s most popular player while trying to promote women’s basketball.

As OutKick founder Clay Travis points out, in the context of sports history this logic makes absolutely no sense.

“Wasn’t Michael Jordan the headliner at any Bulls game while he was a member of the team?” Travis asked. “You may say it’s a small thing, but I guarantee you Bill Cartwright, Luc Longley and Bill Wennington never got Jordan’s promotional graphic.”

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Then Clark did what superstars do.

Hours after being off the charts, he stormed Seattle with a 21-point, 10-assist double-double in an 89-78 win over the Fever.

Johnson, meanwhile, finished scoreless in 17 minutes off the bench.

24-year-old Caitlin Clark is quickly becoming one of the biggest draws in all of American sports. Helped fuel a report 1,000% increase in WNBA merchandise salesThe Fever have turned their games into national events and now rank behind only Curry in national jersey sales.

And somehow the league still treats it like an afterthought when it comes time to market its own product.

The WNBA can continue trying to feed its fans alternative stars if it wants.

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But until someone else starts carrying more jerseys than LeBron James, maybe it’s time for the league to stop overthinking it and log back into Canva and put No. 22 on the d— graphic.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark warms up on the court before a WNBA game against the Seattle Storm at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 17, 2026. (Doug McSchooler/Special to IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

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