In a thrilling home debut, Caitlin Clark, the WNBA's No. 1 overall draft pick, led the Indiana Fever to an 83-80 preseason victory over the Atlanta Dream. The game, which took place on a Thursday night, drew an impressive crowd of 13,028, a significant increase from the average of slightly more than 4,000 per game last season.
Clark's performance, though not flawless, was enough to ignite the hopes of Fever fans. She scored 12 points, secured eight rebounds, and provided six assists in her 31 minutes on the court. Despite facing a challenging defense from the Dream, Clark's presence on the court was undeniable.
"It was a lot of fun, I thought they were loud, I thought they were into it. It was fun to see," Clark said following her home debut. "This is a preseason game on a Thursday night and there’s 13,000 people here. I think that just shows you what it’s going to be like for us all season. It’s going to help us.”
Clark's arrival in the WNBA has generated a significant amount of interest and attention, not just for the Fever, but for women's basketball as a whole. Her presence, along with the rest of this year's highly touted rookie class, has prompted the league to invest heavily in the sport's future. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced earlier this week that the league is prepared to spend $50 million on charter flights over the next two seasons.
The excitement surrounding Clark has also led to some teams moving games to larger venues to accommodate increased ticket sales. The Fever, a team that hasn't seen playoff action since 2016, will now have 36 of its 40 regular-season games broadcast on national television.
Clark's debut was not only a personal triumph but also a beacon of hope for a franchise in need of a turnaround. The anticipation surrounding her debut was the most significant since Peyton Manning's first game for the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts in 1998.
"For me, this is the best part of it,” Clark said. “You’ve got to go out and compete every single night and if one night is not good for us, you have an opportunity to come back a couple days later and respond. I think this group will be ready (for the regular season) and everybody’s excited.”
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