Caitlin Clark Fever has arrived in a big way.
The Indiana star made her WNBA preseason debut on Friday and showcased why she was made the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft.
Clark paced the Fever in a 79-76 loss to the Dallas Wings on the road, leading the way with 21 points and hit five threes on 13 attempts.
Caitlin Clark drives on Jacy Sheldon during the Fever’s 79-76preseason loss to the Wings. Getty Images
And on top of that, College Park Center in Dallas sold out the 6,251-seat arena, as some people said the game felt as if it had a playoff atmosphere despite being a preseason game.
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That came after Dallas averaged a bit over 4,600 fans per game last season, according to Statista.
“Caitlin Clark effect is very real. My cousin and I went to a good majority of Dallas Wings home games last season and the upper deck at UTA has never been open for WNBA games, not even playoffs,” wrote one user on X. The building is completely sold out for a preseason game.”
Dallas Morning News columnist Tim Cowlishaw noted the added energy — and folks in the stands — at Clark’s pro debut.
And that came at the same time the Mavericks were hosting Game 6 of their first-round series against the Clippers.
Pailynn Amos, center, holds a sign for Fever guard Caitlin Clark in front of her mother Rebecca Amos, of Ennis, Texas, prior to Indiana’s preseason loss to the Wings. AP“I’ve been here when the upper deck was tarped over. This is what Caitlin Clark does for a preseason game with the Mavs and Stars playing Game 6’s tonight. Clark has 8 in first 5 minutes,” he wrote on X.
Clark had 16 points at halftime and quickly dipped into her bag of crossovers and step-back 3-pointers before she added five more points in the second half.
The extra energy in the building was felt by players from both sides.
“It’s really great that Caitlin’s bringing all this attention to women’s basketball, so I’m really grateful for that,” Wings center Kalani Brown said, according to the Associated Press.
Caitlin Clark, who scored 21 points, celebrates after making a 3-point shot during the Fever’s preseason loss. APThe league has had plenty of extra eyeballs with Clark’s presence, and earlier in the week, StubHub announced it saw ticket sales jump 93 percent when compared to last season.
“StubHub has seen a significant increase in WNBA demand, just as we did in NCAAW Basketball this past season, marking a notable moment in the sport’s and league’s popularity. The 2023 WNBA Finals set a record for the league on StubHub, with sales tripling compared to the previous year,” Adam Budelli, a spokesperson for StubHub said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Now, as we head into this season, Caitlin Clark’s impact is electrifying, sparking an unprecedented 15x increase in searches for the Indiana Fever after her WNBA draft announcement.”
Caitlin Clark made her WNBA preseason debut in Dallas. Getty ImagesThe company said the Fever have seen “sales skyrocketing 13-fold” after Clark was picked in the WNBA draft.
The Fever will host their first and only home preseason contest on May 9 against the Atlanta Dream, as Clark will make her debut in front of the Indiana crowd.
The team will begin its regular season on May 14 against the Connecticut Sun.
