Caitlin Clark Wowed by 13K+ WNBA Fans Attending Fever Preseason: 'Pretty Unheard Of'
May 10, 2024
Caitlin Clark's first home game as a member of the Indiana Fever was a rousing success with more than 13,000 fans packed into Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Thursday's preseason win over the Atlanta Dream.
During the postgame press conference (starts at 12:40 mark), Clark noted it's "pretty unheard of" to have that many fans at a preseason game.
The official attendance listed on the WNBA's website for the game was 13,028. Fans had to adjust their schedule for this game. It was going to take place on Friday, but Game 3 of the New York Knicks-Indiana Pacers playoff series forced it to move up by one day.
Per Across the Timeline, that would make Thursday's preseason contest the 13th-most attended game in Fever history. They had the second-lowest average home attendance last season (4,067).
No team averaged more than 10,000 fans at home games in 2023. The Las Vegas Aces led the league with an average attendance of 9,551.
The combination of Clark's arrival and growing popularity of the WNBA has led to a surge in ticket sales across the league leading up to the start of the 2024 season. The Dream, Aces and Dallas Wings have already sold out of their season-ticket allotment.
Some teams have relocated their home games against the Fever to accommodate ticket demand. The Aces moved their May 25 game from Michelob Ultra Arena, which seats 12,000 fans, to the 18,000-seat T-Mobile Arena.
The Minnesota Lynx have opened the upper bowl at Target Center for their July 24 and Aug. 14 games against the Fever.
College Park Center in Arlington was sold out to watch the Wings host the Fever in the first preseason game for both teams on May 3.
Clark finished with 12 points on just 4-of-12 shooting, but she did have eight rebounds and six assists against the Dream on Thursday night.
Next up for Clark will be her first regular-season WNBA contest against the Connecticut Sun on May 14. Her regular-season home debut will come on May 16 against the New York Liberty.
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