The 2026 season-opener between the Indiana Fever and Dallas Wings will be one of the most highly anticipated games in WNBA history. However, it is nowhere near a sellout as of this writing due to outrageous ticket prices.
This is the first time ever that the Indianapolis-based organization is struggling to sell seats.
Cost is the primary factor in the stark decline of sales for the Fever home-opener, which reflects a larger concern for the WNBA. Someone has to pay for the increased player salaries but the demand may not match the financial expenditure.
The Indiana Fever is struggling to sell out the WNBA season-opener.
The 2026 WNBA season will get underway on Friday, May 8. The Fever begins its campaign on May 9 against the Wings.
Dallas is led by Paige Bueckers, the No. 1 overall pick 2025 and reigning Rookie of the Year, and her girlfriend and former teammate Azzi Fudd, who was drafted No. 1 overall in 2026. Indiana is led by the biggest star in the league, 2024 No. 1 overall pick Caitlin Clark.
A matchup between Bueckers and Clark will always draw a large crowd. That is especially true when you factor in Fudd and the calendar. It is the perfect way to set the tone for the new season. It is a big game.
And yet, there are more than one third of tickets still on sale with less than three weeks to go until tip off.
Some of them are listed for resale. A lot of them are still available for purchase directly through the team.
Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis holds a maximum capacity of 18,000. I would estimate that at least 30% of the stadium has yet to sell. The second and third levels are no less than 40% empty.
Why are ticket prices so expensive?
I don’t know how the Indiana Fever landed on this price point for the season-opener but the organization completely sold out the arena for the first home game of the year in each of the last two years at a lower price point. That is not the case so far this year.
The matchup between Fudd, Bueckers and Clark is a huge deal and it is the first game of the season so the Fever priced its ticket accordingly.
The least expensive ticket for the worst seat at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the season-opener on May 9 currently costs $97.11. That is compared to just $21 for the exact same seat for the game against the Portland Fire on May 20.
To sit just 11 rows off of the court in section 16 on May 20 will cost $228. To sit in the exact same seat for the season-opener on May 9 will cost $876.95. A ~300% difference.
Just to compare, an $875 ticket for Game 2 of the NBA Playoffs series between the Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs will put you just nine rows off the wood. You can spend the same amount of money for better seats at an NBA playoff game as you would for worse seats at the WNBA season-opener between the Indiana Fever and Dallas Wings.