Category: Indiana Fever

Disney+ to Stream Caitlin Clark's WNBA Debut As First Live Sporting Event
7 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Disney+ to Stream Caitlin Clark’s WNBA Debut As First Live Sporting Event

If you think Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark's rise over the last four years—from Des Moines-area high school basketball star to one of the most transcendent college athletes ever—has been the stuff of Disney movies, you are not alone.

Disney+ will debut in the live sports space next Tuesday by airing Clark's WNBA regular season debut, ESPN told The Hollywood Reporter Tuesday.

The Fever are slated to open their season against the Connecticut Sun, one of four games scheduled for the league's first day. A second matchup between the Phoenix Mercury and Las Vegas Aces will also air on Disney+.

These two games will be the first traditional live sporting events to air on Disney+, barring a pair of themed animated telecasts of NFL and NHL games.

Clark was selected with the No. 1 pick by Indiana in the WNBA draft out of Iowa on April 15, part of a heralded rookie class that includes Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese and Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink.

Caitlin Clark, Connecticut Sun, Indiana Fever, Media, WNBA
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Fever Posted Such an Epic Photo of Caitlin Clark, and WNBA Fans Loved It
4 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Fever Posted Such an Epic Photo of Caitlin Clark, and WNBA Fans Loved It

Caitlin Clark didn't disappoint in her WNBA debut on Friday night, a 79–76 preseason loss for the Indiana Fever at the hands of the Dallas Wings at College Park Center in Arlington, TX.

Clark, playing professional basketball for the first time, looked right at home, scoring a team-high 21 points while draining five three-pointers in 28 minutes of action.

The Iowa product also provided a highlight reel moment in the first quarter, as she lost Wings defender Jacy Sheldon on the dribble—perhaps due to some contact by Clark—resulting in Sheldon falling to the floor as a photographer with impeccable timing snapped the picture. The Fever posted the epic photo onto X, formerly Twitter, and WNBA fans absolutely loved it.

Kudos to Gregory Shamus of Getty Images for getting the perfect photo. Clark went on to drain the three-pointer, to the delight of the sold-out crowd at the College Park Center.

Clark will next take the court for her home debut against the Atlanta Dream at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Thursday night after the contest was rescheduled to avoid conflict with the Indiana Pacers' playoff game.

Caitlin Clark, Dallas Wings, Indiana Fever, WNBA
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Caitlin Clark Already Showing Off Unmatched Range in First WNBA Preseason Game
4 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Caitlin Clark Already Showing Off Unmatched Range in First WNBA Preseason Game

Caitlin Clark put all doubts about her game translating to the WNBA level to rest in the first few minutes of her preseason debut with the Indiana Fever.

Clark, the No. 1 pick by the Fever in the 2024 WNBA draft, started Friday's preseason opener against the Dallas Wings. It took Clark just 54 seconds to drill her first (unofficial) WNBA three-pointer. And in classic Clark fashion, it was from way deep—28 feet, nearly six feet beyond the WNBA three-point line and four feet past the NBA line.

Three minutes later, Clark knocked down another three-pointer—this time from 24 feet.

By the end of the first quarter, Clark had nailed a trio of three-pointers and tallied a game-high 11 points. The Fever, however, trailed Dallas 26–23 after 10 minutes of play.

After Friday's contest wraps up, Clark and the Fever will finish off the two-game preseason schedule Thursday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Clark will make her WNBA regular-season debut May 14 against the Connecticut Sun.

Caitlin Clark, Dallas Wings, Indiana Fever
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Caitlin Clark's Fever Home Preseason Debut Moved Up Due to Pacers' NBA Playoff Game
3 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Caitlin Clark’s Fever Home Preseason Debut Moved Up Due to Pacers’ NBA Playoff Game

Caitlin Clark-mania will take over Indiana a day sooner than fans of the WNBA rookie expected.

The Indiana Fever's first home preseason game of the 2024 season—Clark's debut in front of Indiana fans in the WNBA—originally scheduled for Friday, May 10 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, has been moved up to Thursday due to a conflict with the Indiana Pacers, who will be hosting Game 3 of the Eastern conference semifinals against the New York Knicks that night.

"Due to the Pacers home playoff schedule for the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Fever preseason game originally scheduled for Friday, May 10, has been moved to Thursday, May 9, 7 p.m. at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Tickets for Friday's game will be valid for Thursday's rescheduled date. The game will also be shown on the WNBA app," the team said in a statement posted onto its account on X, formerly Twitter.

The Pacers' win over the Milwaukee Bucks, as well as the Knicks' victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, led to the scheduling conflict at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the shared home of the Pacers and the Fever.

Clark-mania has taken over the WNBA, as there has been a spike in ticket interest in the Fever, as well as an increase in the number of nationally-televised games the team will play in 2024.

Clark, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, is slated to make her professional basketball debut on Friday night against the Dallas Wings at 8 p.m. ET. The West Des Moines, Ia. native's regular season debut is scheduled for May 14 against the Connecticut Sun at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever, Indiana Pacers
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