Caitlin Clark made a surprise appearance at the NBA playoffs on Friday night and got a big cheer from the fans, not once but twice. She hopes to do it again in September.
The WNBA’s top draft pick and the highest-scoring player in Division I history got the crowd pumped up at the Indiana Pacers’ stadium by driving a replica IndyCar before Game 3 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
It was Clark’s first time on the court at Gainbridge Fieldhouse since being drafted by the Indiana Fever last week. The fans, nearly 17,000 of them, gave her a warm welcome, showing their excitement for their new star player.
Although Clark didn’t speak, her presence was enough to boost the team’s morale. During the second quarter, she joined her new Fever teammates to throw T-shirts into the crowd. Veteran guard Erica Wheeler expressed the team’s goal for the season: to make it to the playoffs.
Indiana has a good chance of making it to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Clark’s arrival has already made a difference, with the Fever becoming one of the most sought-after tickets in the WNBA.
This was evident during her college career at Iowa, where games were often sold out, and TV ratings were high.
Ticket sales in Indiana have increased, and even before playing her first professional game, Clark’s influence has led some teams, including the two-time defending WNBA champions Las Vegas Aces, to move their home games to larger venues.
Clark arrived in Indianapolis last Wednesday for a press conference and then returned to Iowa with her family. She came back to Indianapolis on Friday night for the Pacers’ first home playoff game in two years, and will stay for the start of training camp on Sunday.
