Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever Put On A Show In WNBA Star's Return To Iowa

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In a brilliant marketing move, the WNBA hosted a preseason game between the Indiana Fever and the Brazilian National Team at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, home of Caitlin Clark's college team, Iowa. Tickets for the game were the most expensive for a Clark game in Iowa, surpassing every home game in her storied college career. 

Fans clearly couldn't wait to get another look at Clark, who graduated from Iowa in 2024 and immediately entered the WNBA. Hours before tip-off, fans stood in long lines outside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. 

There's no player in the WNBA who can draw fans like Clark, and arguably there's no player in professional sports who draws more fans to their team's games than Clark does. That's exactly why six WNBA opponents have already moved their regular-season games against the Fever into larger arenas, to accommodate the influx of fans who want to see Clark in action. 

Clark's introduction sent the Iowa crowd into a frenzy. 

Right on cue, Clark started the game exactly the way fans wanted her to start it: with a three. 

That began the Indiana Fever's offensive onslaught against the Brazilian National Team. The Fever outscored Brazil 37-17 in the first quarter before delivering an incredible 33-7 second quarter that gave the team a 70-24 lead going into halftime. 

Clark led all scorers with 13 points in the first half, while also showing off her incredible court vision and passing skills. 

Oh, and the ESPN broadcast had Clark wear a microphone and caught a great interaction between her and teammate Aliyah Boston, as well as a awesome moment with the Brazil head coach where he told the Fever star that she "changed the history of basketball." 

Given that it was a preseason game, and one where the Fever annihilated their opponent, Indiana took the foot off the gas in the second half and gave their backups plenty of minutes down the stretch. 

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever put on an offensive clinic in a preseason game against the Brazilian National Team, a game held on the campus of Iowa.

(Grace Smith/IndyStar/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

When all was said and done, Clark finished with 16 points, five assists and six rebounds (in 19 minutes played) as the Fever cruised to a 108-44 victory. 

The Fever open the regular season against the Chicago Sky, the team that drafted Angel Reese in the first round of last year's WNBA Draft. The two teams will play on May 17 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indiana. 

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Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to OutKick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named "Brady" because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.