People of Iowa, rejoice! Your favorite child, Caitlin Clark, is medically cleared and ready to compete tonight against the Brazil National Team! It’s been a long time coming! September 26th was the last time she suited up in a game. It was during the Fever’s playoff matchup against the Connecticut Sun. Since then, Clark has taken a well-earned break, skipping the inaugural season of Unrivaled to rest after a grueling stretch of action. But now, she’s back–and she’s fired up. With her return, she’s already sending a strong message to her teammates.

Yes, it’s been 222 days since Iowa’s favorite child last stepped on the court. In that time, the Hawkeye legend broke the NCAA all-time scoring record, led her team to the national title game, got picked number 1 in the WNBA Draft, and helped Indiana make the playoffs for the first time since 2016–all while averaging 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 8.4 assists en route to winning Rookie of the Year. It was a dream year, no doubt, but also an exhausting one. The break was well deserved—and now, she’s back and ready to go full throttle into the new season.

Caitlin Clark had a bold message for her teammates ahead of her much-anticipated homecoming: “I’m gonna come out here and try to dominate. I told my teammates this will be the loudest arena you ever play in.” She is ready to put on a show for her people!

When the Indiana Fever announced they’d play an exhibition game at Iowa’s Carver-Hawkeye Arena on May 4, it was chaos—in the best way. Tickets ranged from $70 to $250 (plus a $6 fee), and the moment they went on sale to the public on February 28, they vanished in 45 minutes. A full-blown sellout. With 15,000 fans packing the place, expect the noise to be off the charts. This could be one of the loudest, most electric atmospheres the W has ever seen in a preseason game. Iowa loves its favorite child, and Caitlin knows they’ll be there loud and proud.

With just minutes to go before tip-off, fans inside the arena were treated to a special sight—Caitlin Clark going through her pregame routine. A sight to behold!

Caitlin Clark’s pregame routine lights up the Carver-Hawkeye Arena

Homecomings are always special. Angel Reese recently got her homecoming as well. Caitlin Clark and Iowa were meant to happen someday down the line. The former Hawkeye star looked locked in as she lit up the court during warmups, putting on a show for her hometown crowd. Clips of Clark’s pregame shooting spree quickly made the rounds online, with fans in the stands soaking up every moment.

It was the Indiana Fever’s official X account that dropped the video, captioning it, “Caitlin Clark warming up with some logo threes 😏.” Fans couldn’t get enough. It had been a while since Carver-Hawkeye Arena witnessed that kind of magic, and Clark brought it back like she never left!

Now, Clark and her Fever squad will look to build on last season’s progress, which ended in a first-round playoff exit. With a new head coach in Stephanie White and key additions like Natasha Howard and DeWanna Bonner, the roster looks more stacked than ever. How will it all come together? Time will tell. Stay tuned—this could be a special season!