Caitlin Clark, once again, proved she’s the engine driving the WNBA.
Clark and the Indiana Fever closed out the regular season Thursday night with a 92-91 loss to the Washington Mystics in a game that was completely meaningless for them.
While the game might not have mattered for the Fever, it certainly mattered for the fans who showed up and showed out to watch the rookie phenom.
Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever set new WNBA attendance record. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Caitlin Clark sets WNBA attendance record.
A total of 20,711 were in attendance Thursday night to watch Clark and the Fever on the road in Washington, D.C. at Capital One Arena.
That makes the regular season finale the most-attended game in the history of the WNBA. The Washington Mystics usually play at Entertainment & Sports Arena, which has room for around 4,200 fans.
With Clark in town, the game was moved to where the Wizards play, and that decision was clearly a smart one because the team now holds the all-time WNBA attendance record for a single game.
I was in attendance at Capital One Arena Thursday night to watch Clark in person, and I have to admit that it was a simply awesome experience.
You would have thought it was a home game for the Fever. There were thousands of people, many were kids, in Clark jerseys and shirts.
The concourses in the stadium were packed with people more than 40 minutes before tip. Everyone wanted to catch a glimpse of the face of the WNBA. No matter your thoughts on the WNBA as a whole, I can tell you it’s incredibly cool to see the kind of draw Clark has. She transcends the sport. The former Iowa phenom is a rock star.
Capital One Arena *ERUPTED* when Clark drilled her first three. I would say at least 90% of fans in attendance were there to support Clark. It might even have been as high as 95%.
