Hundreds of fans gathered in Downtown Indianapolis at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on April 15 for a draft to hear league commissioner Cathy Engelbert utter those sweet words: with the first pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, the Indiana Fever selected Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark.
In October of last year, Clark sat down with Indiana Fever forward Aliyah Boston for an interview where they discussed many things, including Clark and Boston potentially becoming teammates in the pros.
“The Indiana Fever could have the first pick, so people may or may not have the duo [of Boston and Clark]; it remains to be seen,” Clark said. “That is up to you guys [Indiana Fever]; I don’t know; we will have to see.”
Now, it is no longer a mystery; it is official. Clark is now a member of the Indiana Fever.
With the addition of Caitlin Clark, the Indiana Fever, who had a challenging season last year with a 13-27 record, are poised to transform into a formidable force in the league this year.
The Fever now has the Rookie of the Year in Aliyah Boston, all-star shooting guard Kelsey Mitchell, and a player often regarded as the most outstanding collegiate basketball player – male or female – of all time in Clark. The Lady Hickories also have high-energy guards like Erica Wheeler and Grace Berger. The team’s potential is undeniable.
Clark, who has broken more records than most can count, has done it all, except win the coveted NCAA National Championship, falling to Louisiana State University (LSU) in 2023 and the University of South Carolina in 2024.
One thing is for sure: Indiana Fever tickets for the 2024 season will differ from the previous seasons. On Mar. 1, ticket resale company Vivid Seats reported that the average price for Fever tickets has more than doubled, from $60 to $140 per seat. Single-season tickets for Indiana Fever games also went on sale during draft night.
According to Ticketmaster, the Indiana Fever’s home opener against the New York Liberty on May 16 is already sold out. The reigning champions, the Las Vegas Aces, have moved their May 24 and June 2 games from the Michelob Ultra Arena, which houses 12,000 people to the 20,000-seated T-Mobile Arena, all in anticipation of Clark.
The Fever staff also embraced the idea of obtaining Clark earlier this season, suggesting to fans on social media to get their tickets sooner instead of later.
“The people who I idolized in my life were either all professional women’s basketball players or professional soccer players, and that is what I wanted to be growing up,” Clark said on April 14, one night before the WNBA Draft. “Understanding how big of an impact that can have on a young girl’s life is super important to see them scream your name or have your jersey on is something that never gets old.”
Contact multi-media and sports reporter Noral Parham at 317-762-7846. Follow him on Twitter @3Noral. For more Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark news courtesy of the Indianapolis Recorder, click here.
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Parham has worked with various leagues to provide a diverse perspective in sports, including the Big Ten, Big East, IHSAA, IndyCar, MLB, NHRA, NFL, NBA, WNBA, WWE and the Olympics. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.
