Indiana Fever opening day is Saturday, and everyone is watching
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Time for another season of WNBA action. Photo: Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images
Saturday afternoon will mark the start of an Indiana Fever season that feels like it's championship or bust.
Why it matters: Millions of others will be tuning in to watch as the Fever have become proven draws with the power to relocate games and shatter longstanding ratings records.
The intrigue: Even more eyes than usual may be on the opening game against the Chicago Sky because it provides another chapter in a Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry that has taken on a life of its own.
Driving the news: The Fever's first game of the year in Gainbridge Fieldhouse is one of 41 to be featured on national television this season — a franchise and league high.
- On Thursday, the Fever launched their first direct-to-consumer streaming service — Fever Direct — that will broadcast 18 games this season. The service costs $29.99 annually. The first game available to subscribers will be Tuesday's matchup against the Atlanta Dream.
State of play: Indiana is coming in hot after going undefeated during the league's first-ever fully broadcast preseason.
- Ticket sales — which have increased for all 12 returning teams — are up 145% from last season, according to StubHub, and first-time WNBA ticket buyers jumped 28% compared to the same time last year.
- Fever games were the league's hottest ticket, seeing a 497% increase in sales over last season.
What we're hearing: As momentum behind women's sports continues to build, players like Clark, Paige Bueckers and A'ja Wilson are "driving record-breaking demand with the highest pre-season sales in StubHub's history for the league," StubHub spokesperson Adam Budelli told Axios.
Zoom out: The Dallas Wings' ticket sales are up by 343% — and in the 24 hours after Bueckers went No. 1, the team's site searches surged 351%.
- The Sky, Connecticut Sun, New York Liberty and Dallas Wings follow the Fever as the top in-demand teams.
What's next: Tip-off is 3pm Saturday.
If you go: Tickets start at $92.
How to watch: ABC, ESPN+ or Disney+
How to listen: 93.1 WIBC
Go deeper: A guide to all the new Fever players