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“Queen With Her Prince”: Caitlin Clark & Tyrese Haliburton Leave Fans in Awe as Indiana Fever Officially Welcomes 22YO Star

Published 04/17/2024, 11:51 AM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

Though Caitlin Clark had a very rough end to her near-perfect NCAA career, redemption came knocking at the 2024 WNBA draft. The former Iowa Hawkeyes guard was the no 1 pick in the draft, selected by the Indiana Fever. That came as no surprise to many as projection did predict the same, she left players like Cameron Brink and her arch nemesis Angel Reese behind. Now, alongside Tyrese Haliburton, she carries the torch for the great city of Indy.

In a recent post on X, Haliburton is welcoming Clark to his domain. The caption of the image stated, “Guard Tyrese Haliburton stopped by to welcome Caitlin Clark to Indy this morning.”   

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One Indy fan couldn’t help himself and wrote, “A Queen With Her Prince,” as a repost to the iconic photograph. The 22-year-old got a welcome that befits a star of her caliber. Clark shattered most records on her way to the WNBA such as the most points scoring 3,951 points, leaving Kelsey Plum’s 3,527 points. Other than that she also has a record for the highest scoring average, most three-pointers in a season, most career three-pointers, and the highest scoring titles.

These records justify the hype she brought with her on the record draft night.

Caitlin Clark breaking WNBA records before playing a single game

According to a recent Sportico report, the draft saw an astonishing surge in viewership, surpassing 300%, with nearly 2.5 million tuning in. Notably, a significant portion of this audience tuned in to witness Clark’s selection as the top pick by the Indiana Fever. However, these figures aren’t new for Clark.

During Iowa’s quest for the national championship, the NCAA standout featured in the three most-viewed women’s college basketball games. The Elite Eight triumph over LSU set a new-record with 12.3 million viewers, later eclipsed by the Final Four victory against UConn, which drew in 14.2 million viewers.

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In the national championship game between Iowa and South Carolina, Clark’s college career concluded amidst the highest-rated women’s hoops broadcast, peaking at 24 million viewers.

The 2024 WNBA draft marked a historic milestone as it became the first time the women’s league draft drew over a million viewers, surpassing both the MLB and NHL drafts’ attendance in 2023. Two decades ago, in 2004, Diana Taurasi’s selection as the number one pick by the Phoenix Mercury attracted 601,000 viewers during the first round of the WNBA draft. Considering how quickly Clark is breaking records can she become a WNBA champion in her first few years?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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Written by:

Akashdeep Banerjee

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Akashdeep Banerjee is an NBA Writer at EssentiallySports. He commenced his journey in sports writing after obtaining a degree in Mass Communication. The pinnacle of the three-point revolution, marked by the captivating performances of Stephen Curry and the GSW, ignited his passion.
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Edited by:

Shivatmika Manvi