The United Center is the home of Michael Jordan.
It is the house that His Airness built.
However, come this summer, it will be the home of the WNBA‘s biggest stars going toe-to-toe with one another.
The Chicago Sky announced that they will be moving two games against the Indiana Fever to the United Center on June 7 and July 27.
That means Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese could be playing in front of a potential crowd of nearly 21,000.
A budding rivalry that started at the collegiate level and has since spilled into the professional ranks, has captivated the league and its audience.
Clark and Reese have already become two of the biggest names in the sport.
Last season, two out of the three most-watched WNBA regular-season games were between the Sky and Fever.
The Sky’s home arena, Wintrust Arena, only holds about 10,400 fans, so it makes sense as to why the team wanted to move to the United Center for its two games against Clark and the Fever.
It will be the first time in the Sky’s 20-year history that they will make the 20-minute drive over to the United Center and play in the historic arena on the Near West Side.
And they should be expecting a large turnout.
Last season, the WNBA set all sorts of attendance records.
According to the league, it had its highest total attendance in 22 years (2,353,735), up 48% from the 2023 season.
That included 154 sellout games, which marked a 242% increase from the previous season (45).
The Washington Mystics moved its games to Capital One Arena last September against the Fever and set a WNBA single-game attendance record of 20,711.
That is the outcome that the Sky are hoping for.
It’s no secret who the main draw is.
In 2024, the Fever’s total home attendance of 340,715 fans was a single-season record.
It’s the Clark effect that has been felt across the entire league.
And Chicago is looking to capitalize on the superstar when she comes to town.
It also doesn’t hurt that her perceived ‘rival’ just so happens to play for you.
The United Center will always be Jordan’s house, but for two days in the summer, it will be Clark and Reese’s show to run.