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When Will Caitlin Clark Play Her First Game for the Indiana Fever?

Published 04/28/2024, 7:01 AM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

The wait is almost over. After witnessing the special talent that she had in college, fans are now eager for what Caitlin Clark has to offer as a pro. The headlining choice in the 2024 WNBA draft will be gearing up to flourish in the Indiana Fever colors soon as the new season is just around the corner. However, her much anticipated and enormously hyped debut will not take place on Indiana’s home turf.

For the supporters of Caitlin Clark, May 3 is the date when they can have a glimpse of her professional debut. The 2x National Player Of The Year will travel to North Texas to take on the 3x WNBA champions, the Dallas Wings. This pre-season encounter is far more important for the Fever, considering the fact that this will be the first step where they can right the wrongs of their dismal 2023 campaign, where they finished 10th with a 13-27 record.

Moreover, Clark will also have a chance to go face-to-face with a former Big 10 adversary. As it turns out, the fifth overall draft pick Jacy Sheldon can exhibit her skills in Arlington on Friday. This will be a reunion of sorts for the 2 point guards if the Wings decide to debut the 23-year-old. History was in the making the last time these two were on the same court, as Caitlin Clark ended up becoming the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer.

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Clark will suit up for the first time in front of her home fans on May 10 in a pre-season game against the Atlanta Dream. Her official debut will be on May 14 against the Connecticut Sun at the Mohegan Sun Arena. Two days later, she’ll play at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the first time officially against Sabrina Ionescu and the New York Liberty. However, fans are more excited for May 3 currently.

USA Today via Reuters

It will be worth watching what will transpire in the first professional face-off between Clark and Sheldon at the College Park Center. Anyhow, there have been some noteworthy developments happening before the game.

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The Caitlin Clark Effect in Dallas

Seemingly, there is no change in the craze and popularity of the 6 ft guard, regardless of her draft to the professional side of the sport. The conclusion of this year’s draft saw a sold-out College Park Center for the Indiana-Dallas matchup. In addition to this, Clark’s fever is also compelling some tickets to get resold on StubHub. Apparently, the upper-level seats cost around $100, while the lower-level seats are going as far as $500 a pop.

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Following this, Wings President and CEO Greg Bibb had a thing or two to add to Clark’s fever. Recently, he told WFAA that individual ticket sales have surged up to 1,170%. He further added, “We have seen incremental gains in business growth every year since 2020, and what’s happened in the NCAA has been an accelerant to that growth. We structured our ticket sales accordingly and waited later in the calendar year to go on sale with them to create a pent-up demand post-draft.”

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The excitement and thrill continue to build. It is safe to say that Caitlin Clark’s impact and influence are not declining at all. What will she bring to the table in the opening game? We’ll just have to wait and see.

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Written by:

Shahryar Fazal

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Shahryar Fazal is a senior NBA writer at EssentiallySports. His specialisation lies in his scrupulous Live Coverage of the events like NCAA and WNBA tournaments. A former sportsman himself, Shahryar used to contribute stories for publishing houses like TOI before taking up American sports as his field of interest.
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Edited by:

Pragya Vashisth