The WNBA might be stuck in contract limbo, but teams aren’t waiting to set up games with Caitlin Clark. The New York Liberty and Dallas Wings just announced their first games of the preseason, and both teams will be playing Clark’s Indiana Fever. It’s clear who is really making a difference in women’s basketball right now.

The Liberty made their announcement official on social media, saying they were ready to get back to work. “Preseason game against the @IndianaFever is locked in ✅ Meet us at @barclayscenter on 4/25 at 3 pm/ET as we gear up for #SEAFOAMSZN,” the team posted. The Wings followed suit with their own reveal. “The wait is over ⭐️ Dallas tweeted too, The next time you can catch Dallas Wings basketball will be for our first preseason game on April 30 at @IndianaFever!” On April 25, the Fever will play New York at Barclays Center. Five days later, they will play Dallas at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where they will be playing at home.

These announcements mean more than just the usual preseason schedule. The games between Dallas and Indiana became must-see TV in 2025, with an average of 2.1 million people watching their July 13 game on ABC, which was one of the highest ratings for a regular-season game in league history. The four-game series drew almost 18,000 fans per game, which was similar to how well it did on TV. The June 27 meeting at the American Airlines Center in Dallas drew 20,409 fans, breaking the franchise record and making it the biggest crowd for a WNBA game in Texas history. That number also put the game in the league’s history as one of only eight regular-season games to have more than 20,000 fans.

While teams work on making plans, the league is stuck in contract talks. The WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association have already pushed back their deadline twice. Now, both sides are under a moratorium that stops free agency, qualifying offers, and almost all player transactions. The standoff has been going on for more than a year, and there is no end in sight.

The main point of disagreement between the two sides is money and how it is figured. Players want a share of the gross revenue because they say the league’s net revenue model hides their true market value. The WNBA says that if they agree to the players’ proposal, they will lose almost $700 million over the course of the deal, which would make their finances unsustainable even though each franchise has to pay $250 million in expansion fees.

 Caitlin Clark’s impact on WNBA strategy shifts

One thing was clear, even with the contract dispute: Caitlin Clark is the best at selling tickets. Teams moved nine of her away games to bigger arenas so that everyone who wanted to see her play could fit in. The numbers backed up the hype: those moved games drew in more than 15,000 fans, which is about 4,000 more than regular games.

This year is very different. There are 19 alternate-site games scheduled by the league, but only four of them involve Clark. Teams took what they learned from her injury-filled 2025 season and played it safer. Even though there was a chance of a payoff, it was too risky to count on her being available.

The teams that are growing are doing the extra work. Toronto Tempo wants to play five games outside of their home arena to try out different markets using Clark’s plan. Portland Fire is doing something similar to try to get people excited about their team outside of their main city.

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The big question that Clark’s return will answer is whether the WNBA can stay popular without depending so much on one player. Last year showed that she could change the game, but this season will show if the league built something that will last after her.