On the eve of Caitlin Clark‘s home debut with the Indiana Fever, she dropped a simple message on Instagram.
“Indy, we’re ready, are you?” Clark wrote May 8 on Instagram Stories.
Clark, the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft, has been a national sensation since 2023. The NCAA’s all-time leading scorer kept up that trend in the early stages of her WNBA career with national attention on the Fever’s May 3 preseason opener against the Dallas Wings.
Fans can anticipate something similar on May 9 with a packed Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Fever will host the Atlanta Dream in a preseason game that got moved from May 10 due to the Indiana Pacers‘ NBA playoff series against the New York Knicks.
Caitlin Clark: ‘It’s a Great Time for the City of Indianapolis’
Clark said she would attend that Pacers game the day after the Fever’s home opener. Her boyfriend, Connor McCaffery, serves as an assistant coach for the Pacers.
“It’s a great time for the city of Indianapolis — the Fever, the Pacers … two really great organizations that are really investing and wanting to make it really good,” Clark said during a May 8 shoot-around. “I’ve been following the Pacers all year long, so getting to see what they’ve been doing is pretty special. Hopefully they can steal one in New York before they come back here, and then I know this place will be rockin’.”
First, the fans will rock for Clark’s first home game as a WNBA player. Clark’s early impact on the Fever and the WNBA has already led to sold-out arenas and enhanced media coverage of the league.
“Anytime you get to play in front of your home environment — don’t have to travel — just makes things a little bit better. And obviously, it’s my first time out here,” Clark said. “Played in this arena before [with Iowa], but it will obviously be a little bit different, you know, wearing a Fever uniform.”
“So more than anything, I’m just getting excited to get out there and run for the first time,” Clark added.
Caitlin Clark Sees Things Coming Together for Fever
Almost two weeks into training camp, Clark said she saw things coming together for her team. She credited general manager Lin Dunn and head coach Christie Sides for laying the groundwork.
“I think everybody’s just, you know, positive attitude and I think acceptance, too,” Clark said. “Like you can really tell that everybody just wants the best for each other no matter, you know, how many minutes you play, no matter what your role is going to be on this team.”
“I think everybody’s just motivated to have a really successful season … just wants the best,” she added. “That starts with the coaching staff with building a really good culture, getting the right people in the locker room. Lin’s done a great job doing that. Christie’s done a great job doing that. So, I would say like that’s the biggest thing is like just everybody’s competitive spirit but also supportiveness at the same time.”
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Caitlin Clark Issues Statement to Indiana Fever Fans Before Home Debut