INDIANAPOLIS — On Thursday night, Caitlin Clark entered her new venue, which was covered in No. 22 jerseys and shirts from floor to ceiling.

Being a first-time WNBA champion, she left.

A belated but raucous audience cheered when Clark hit her first basket, a layup with 7:00 remaining in the first quarter, and during her formal presentation to Fever supporters. When she eventually made a deep 3-pointer from the edge of the Fieldhouse logo late in the third quarter, the applause intensified and increased when she finished a three-point play a few minutes later.

A Boisterous Audience Thunderously Applauds Caitlin Clark As Fever Wins 83–80 To Make Her Home Debut.

Yes, even though it wasn’t quite the expected start, Clark managed to pull off the city’s most anticipated rookie debut since Peyton Manning played for the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts in 1998.

In 31 minutes, Clark scored 12 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 6 turnovers, and 2 of 9 three-pointers in an 83-80 preseason victory over the Atlanta Dream.

“I thought they were loud and into it, and it was a lot of fun.” After her home debut, Clark remarked, “It was entertaining to watch.” There are 13,000 spectators for this Thursday night preseason game. That, in my opinion, merely illustrates what this season will be like for us. It will be beneficial to us.

After last week’s preseason opener loss at Dallas, the Fever rallied from an early double-digit hole on Thursday with the crowd’s support, which undoubtedly had an impact.

One of the girls held a banner that said, “Welcome to Indy Caitlin! — Caitlin M.”

Officially, 13,028 people attended, almost three times more than Indiana’s average of a little over 4,000 people per game for their 20 home regular-season games in 2023. Following that, Clark ran into a close friend and erstwhile college teammate, Gabbie Marshall, and the two clicked a picture.

Even for the postponed contest, most people came to witness Clark.

The NBA announced that the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks would play Game 3 of their best-of-seven series at that time. Hence, Indiana’s original Friday schedule was shifted.

After playing college ball just a month ago, Clark—the WNBA’s overall No. 1 draft pick—has quickly adapted to the pro game. Furthermore, there wasn’t as much fanfare and fanciness surrounding this game as one might have thought.

With music playing and the stands beginning to fill, Clark completed her pregame warm-ups quietly and intently. But as the game began, it was all business for Clark & Co.

I don’t think I was all that effective, Clark remarked. Above all, I performed excellently, finding my teammates and passing the ball. Granted, I would have preferred to make a few more threes, but sometimes that’s how things work out.

A Boisterous Audience Thunderously Applauds Caitlin Clark As Fever Wins 83–80 To Make Her Home Debut.

Not all of the blame could be placed on Clark.

Naturally, opponents plot their moves to slow down the most-scoring player in NCAA Division I history. Atlanta’s strategy was to physically attack Clark to remove her from her location and use hard closeouts and numerous defenders to force the ball out of her hands.

As a result, Clark had trouble early on as the Fever trailed, and her teammates had trouble turning her precise passes into baskets. However, they also got a sneak peek at what this season might hold.

With a game-high 21 points, Nalyssa Smith stated, “She pushes the pace for us, she gets the ball where it needs to be, if you run the floor you’ve got to look up because the ball is coming.” “She’s looking to pass the ball, she can spread the floor, and everybody can score.”

Clark was a huge hit and a welcomed change for a team looking for a revival throughout it all. She’s brought women’s basketball more attention and interest than most of her predecessors, which has given her a platform that few others have, and she’s making the most of it.

Because of her presence and those of the other players in what is arguably the most anticipated rookie class in WNBA history, league commissioner Cathy Engelbert said earlier this week that she plans to spend $50 million on charter aircraft over the next two seasons.

A Boisterous Audience Thunderously Applauds Caitlin Clark As Fever Wins 83–80 To Make Her Home Debut.

Some opponents have shifted their games to bigger facilities to accommodate ticket sales due to the intrigue around Clark, and a team that has yet to make the playoffs since 2016 will now have 36 of its 40 regular-season games broadcast nationally.

For Clark, performing in front of a packed house has become second nature. This might be the beginning of something greater than her coaches and teammates could have ever dreamed, particularly for a player who represents a generation like Clark, who has enthusiastically embraced her new hometown.

“This is the best part of it, in my opinion,” Clark remarked. “You have to compete every night, and if one of those nights is bad for us, you can always come back and answer a few days later. Everyone is thrilled, and I believe this bunch will be prepared for the regular season.

SOURCE – (AP)