Caitlin Clark struggled to leave the court after a preseason game on May 3 because a group of fans wanted her autograph as she exited.
The Indiana Fever rookie star guard signed as many items as she could on her way to the locker room after a 79-76 loss to the Dallas Wings. Clark began with a girl’s orange WNBA shirt near the baseline and made her way through the crowd in a video that had 242,600 views by May 4.
“I think the fans are always … they’re what makes women’s basketball so fun,” Clark informed reporters after the game. “I think over the course of the last couple of years, it’s just grown and grown.”
“And, you know, for them to come out and support during my first WNBA game is really special not only for myself, but, you know, both teams on the court,” Clark added. “They get to see how good this product is.”
Clark performed well with 21 points on 6-15 shooting with three rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 28 minutes of action. She had a chance to tie the game at the buzzer but missed her 25-foot three-pointer at the end.
“And, I mean, you couldn’t ask for a better game really. For women’s basketball like to kick off this year like just a tremendous game coming down to the wire [and] both teams competing,” Clark said. “And, you know, that’s going to be the story of the entire year.”
Caitlin Clark: ‘That’s What You Expect’
Despite being a preseason game, Arlington’s College Park Center had a capacity crowd of 7,000 fans that night. The Fever take the court again in preseason action on May 9 at home against the Atlanta Dream.
“The crowd was great all night. That’s what you expect with a sellout,” Clark said. “Those are going to be the same for the crowds all year long. So whether they’re cheering for you or cheering against you, you’d better get used to it.”
Interest around Clark’s preseason debut stemmed from her growing stardom during her recent college career at Iowa. Her dynamic play propelled the Hawkeyes to back-to-back Final Four appearances, and Clark captured the NCAA’s all-time career scoring record along the way.
“My biggest goal coming into tonight was to continue to be myself, have fun playing basketball, be aggressive – I thought that’s what I did. So, I think [I have] a lot to be proud of,” Clark said.
Caitlin Clark Enjoyed Her First WNBA Game
Clark experienced her first game as a professional basketball player. It was a long time coming as Clark wrote down playing in the WNBA as one of her goals in elementary school, which she shared on the TODAY show in April.
“Having the chance to wear your jersey for a real game for the first time is something that’s extremely special. . . . It’s a major milestone for someone who always dreamed of playing in the WNBA,” Clark informed reporters on May 3.
For her first WNBA shot and basket, she excited the crowd with a deep three-pointer in the first quarter.
“I was able to get a pretty clean look for my first shot,” Clark said. “It’s always nice to see your first shot go in when you’re a shooter.”
