Hardship Signing Aerial Powers Confirms Indiana Fever Reality Powered by Caitlin Clark Effect

She knew the feeling of a sold-out crowd from once before. Back in 2019, Aerial Powers stepped on the hardwood for 14 minutes in Washington, D.C., when the Mystics captured their first championship inside the CareFirst Arena. With 4200 voices filling the building, it felt massive then. But in 2025, she’s learning that Caitlin Clark’s arrival has redrawn the map of what “massive” really means. Indiana’s home average of 16,513 dwarfs that old championship roar by almost four times. And now, Powers is wearing the jersey of the team living at the center of it all.

Indiana signed her to a seven-day hardship deal last Sunday, and by Friday night, she had her moment. Nine points, six rebounds, two assists, and a steal in just 15 minutes helped seal a 76-75 win over the Sparks. The stat line was nice, but the reception was something else entirely. She got the full Fever treatment (the same ovation reserved for Clark, Mitchell, Boston, Howard, or Hull), and it hit her in real time. The team’s “Now You Know” campaign says it best: our road games sound like home games because our fans don’t ask for permission to dominate.

Powers couldn’t hold it in. She picked the photos at Staples Center, dropped them on X, and captioned it all with disbelief: “I really didn’t know! Every game really is a home game! 🤯 The energy was crazy Fever fans, keep bringing it! 🔥💪🏽” Coming from a player who once suited up for the Lynx (the franchise that plays in the league’s largest arena at 20,000 seats), that verdict carries real weight. Her contract clock keeps ticking, but unless Indiana moves on, Powers will suit up for the Fever’s next three games. The first one would be August 31 at Chase Center, and you know what that means.

The setting couldn’t be bigger: Indiana and Golden State, the WNBA’s twin titans of attendance, colliding just steps away from the playoffs. Rachel DeMita laid out the numbers plainly: “The highest attendance of any team in the 2025 season is the Indiana Fever totaling 577,979 fans. And then a close second is the Golden State Valkyries (454,275).” However, Powers’ awe is no joke, and Indiana still sits on the throne as the league’s true attendance god. Because there’s one more layer to this story that makes their dominance impossible to ignore.

Golden State has sold out every home date, but Indiana has changed the entire road landscape. Teams are upgrading the stage to welcome them, and here’s proof-

• May 22 (Atlanta) From Gateway Center Arena at College Park (5,000) to State Farm Arena (17,057)
• May 28, Sept. 7  (Washington) From CareFirst Arena (4,200) to CFG Bank Arena (14,000)
• June 7, July 27 (Chicago) From Wintrust Arena (10,000) to United Center (20,923)
• June 22 (Las Vegas) From Michelob ULTRA Arena (10,399) to T-Mobile Arena (20,366)
• June 27 (Dallas) College Park Center (6,251) to American Airlines Center (19,825)
• July 15 (Connecticut) From Mohegan Sun Arena (8,910) to Boston’s TD Garden (19,156)

That’s the Caitlin Clark effect Aerial Powers just walked into. She’s now a part of a phenomenon that turns every court into Indiana’s second home. Or as they call it, “every game is a home game,” for the Indiana Fever, even without Caitlin Clark suiting up.

Fever Face Valkyries Showdown Without Caitlin Clark

Because when Indiana takes the floor against Golden State on Sunday, they’ll be doing it without Caitlin Clark, again. The Fever confirmed she will miss her 18th straight game with her lingering groin injury, which even insider Chloe Peterson confirmed. Caitlin Clark has appeared in just 13 of Indiana’s 39 games. It is a sobering reminder that the player fueling this attendance revolution hasn’t been able to consistently share the court with the fans she draws.

The absence hurts doubly because the Valkyries have proven to be Clark’s toughest puzzle. In two matchups this season, they have held her to 10.5 points, 7.5 assists, and six rebounds per game, well below her usual standards. Even more telling: just two made threes in those outings, an uncharacteristic silence from her greatest weapon. Tiffany Hayes and Golden State’s perimeter defense have managed what few others have: they have successfully muted Clark’s long-range impact. How? We know [Clark] doesn’t like physicality. We know she wants to get to that left stepback. I watched her at Iowa, she loves that left stepback, it’s almost like a layup for her. So we were just making sure she wasn’t getting into rhythm and then that she was seeing multiple bodies,” said Natalie Nakase, GSV’s HC.

For Indiana, that means leaning harder on veterans like Kelsey Mitchell and Natasha Howard, and perhaps even another burst from Aerial Powers if her deal extends. For Golden State, the timing couldn’t be more crucial. They sit in the eighth seed, one game back of Indiana’s sixth, with Seattle wedged between them. A Saturday night win over Washington could trim that margin to a half-game before Sunday’s clash, setting up a potential playoff spot swap right on Chase Center’s floor.

So, while the Fever remain the league’s attendance gods, the playoff math is far less secure. In a race this tight, every possession and every injury matters. And as Caitlin Clark watches from the bench, the Fever will have to prove once more that their roar can still travel, even without their brightest star.