WASHINGTON — The Washington Mystics are facing a near-sold-out arena Friday night as they take on the Indiana Fever with star rookie Caitlin Clark.
Back in April, the team had to move the game from their typical 4,200-seat Entertainment and Sports Arena to the 20,000-seat Capital One Arena due to overwhelming demand.
The same happened with Thursday night's game against the Chicago Sky, which features another star rookie and Baltimore native, Angel Reese.
The Mystics lost 71 to 79, so the team is looking for their first win of the season Friday night.
Regardless of their performance on the court, the team is winning in the box office.
Chief Business Officer, Alycen McCauley said business has exploded after the March Madness attention transferred to the WNBA.
"We're seeing that in ticket purchases. We're seeing that in tune in for our TV broadcasts. I mean, we're up 70% year over year on our TV viewership. Our away game on Tuesday broke our all time record for viewership by about 131%," McCauley said. "The numbers are staggering right now, and I think you see that across the league, and we're certainly feeling it here in DC, and it's just it's a terrific time to be in women's basketball."
McCauley said there are still a few tickets for Friday night's game for fans still wanting to see the big matchup.
Resale sites, like Vivid Seats, are selling them for anywhere from $58 for the nosebleeds to $2,500 courtside.
“Right now, I think people are witnessing what we've known for a while," McCauley said. "This is the best women's basketball in the world. You know, we're drawing players from all over the world into this league. There's only 144 spots, so it's ultra competitive to get a spot. And the basketball is amazing, right? And you see the rookies making that transition from the collegiate game to the professional game, and they'll all tell you, it's a different game, right? And that's exciting. I mean, it's just such a good product right now.”
She said the team has been working to capitalize on the increased attention.
Thursday, they announced a new radio partnership with The Team 980, which will broadcast Mystics games on the radio for the first time.
They also recently gained more corporate support, as the investing and trading app company Robinhood became their jersey patch partner.
“I think that just really shows you some of the corporate support that's trying to come in and get behind the WNBA, and they're doing it because we're able to reach an audience that's very unique, right, and they can't get anyplace else," McCauley said. "They're seeing the loyalty that our fans have for the sponsors who get behind the WNBA and reward those partners with their purchases.”
In addition to these corporate partners, the Mystics have multiple other initiatives to get fans excited for their games.
This season, for limited games, fans will be able to receive a brunch at Sycamore and Oak right before heading next door to a game at the Entertainment and Sports Arena.
They are also offering Sticsclusive T-shirts that fans can only purchase at the team store each game.
Each one will be unique to the night, so fans are encouraged to collect them all.
Friday marks another more somber occasion -- National Gun Violence Awareness Day.
In honor of that, the Mystics will participate in their sixth season of the Wear Orange initiative.
The team partners with Everytown for Gun Safety to raise money and awareness.
Before the game, the team will host a panel of non-profits talking about policy, and take moments to honor survivors during the game.