By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer
For better or worse, the Indiana Fever keep finding themselves at the center of attention in the WNBA.
Since the arrival of Caitlin Clark three years ago, everything that happens on and off the court involving Indiana gets magnified and scrutinized by fans, the media and even members of Congress. Clark is an exceptional player and the Fever are a good team, but a lot of the conversations are not about points, assists or wins.
The latest incident involved A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces, who confronted a fan and shouted at him during her team’s loss at Indiana in Game 2 of the teams’ first-round playoff series. It happened only hours after Clark’s name came up in a contentious congressional hearing in which former Donald Trump prosecutor Jack Smith was pressed by Republican senators about a basketball game he attended in 2024,
“There’s an infatuation with our team, and there’s an infatuation with some of our players, and there’s a lot of negativity that surrounds anything that’s different from what the fandom wants to see,” Indiana coach Stephanie White recently told ESPN. “And that is challenging as a coach to navigate.
“I think the vortex of everything that we deal with, with our team and our franchise, is definitely challenging,” White added. “It’s hard to escape it.”
Next up for her team is Thursday night’s winner-take-all playoff game against the defending WNBA champion Aces. For Clark, it’s the biggest basketball stage she’s had in the U.S. since she her Iowa team lost to Angel Reese and LSU in the title game of the 2023 women’s NCAA Tournament.
The Fever have drawn a series of off-the-court headlines
Indiana seems to consistently draw headlines for things that have nothing to do with the final score of a game.
— Aug. 6: Fans in Indiana also became a subplot at a Fever-Aces game. Jackie Young, a Las Vegas player who grew up in Indiana and played in college at Notre Dame, pointed out a fan courtside to security and two men were escorted to the back before being allowed to stay in the arena.
— Aug. 8: DiJonai Carrington was ejected after a hard foul on Sophie Cunningham, and Carrington ignited a firestorm after the foul with a social media post directed at the Fever in which she declared “WHITE PRIVILEGE.” White, who used to coach Carrington in Connecticut, initially downplayed the severity of the foul by her former player and was later booed by Fever fans. Indiana players defended their coach, calling the booing uncalled for.
— July: Cunningham said in an ESPN article that she was opposed to transgender girls and women competing in girls’ and women’s sports. That sparked a series of rallies at WNBA arenas.
— June 24: Alyssa Thomas hit Clark in the throat during a game between Phoenix and Indiana that resulted in a one-game suspension for the Mercury star. That play eventually led to a group of 11 Republican lawmakers sending a letter to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert demanding the league take “accountability” for multiple attacks on Clark. The Fever said they had nothing to do with the letter being sent.
Clark’s competitive edge
Clark is always at the top of the scouting report of opposing teams for her ability to impact a game. Teams devise schemes to limit her impact, which includes trying to restrict her movement.
That has led to created passionate debates about whether at times the physicality has crossed the line. Clark also tries to draw attention to it with demonstrative actions to get the attention of the referees.
Her actions are well-intentioned and all about winning, but emotions can run high on the court and in the stands during competition.
“Yeah, I think that’s just being a competitor, and like, that’s what’s fun. That’s what I love about it,” Clark said earlier this year when asked about her on-court celebrations. “I think that’s what gets the crowd into it too and gets my teammates hyped up. And I think there’s times I can probably find a little bit better of a balance because, like, doing all that is a little bit exhausting, too.
“I just love the game. I love being out there, and I love those moments and getting the crowd hype. And, you know, I think that just brings out the best in both teams.”
Fever and Clark spark record ratings
Clark has brought more viewers and fans to the WNBA. Her play on the court has been spectacular at times as she puts up numbers at a record pace. She stands out for her logo 3-pointers shots and pinpoint passes for assists.
She is a fierce competitor, and when she is on her game she lets fans and opponents know she feels impossible to guard — not unlike Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Diana Taurasi or Reggie Miller.
Let by Clark, the Fever have helped boost the WNBA to record ratings and attendance over the past three seasons. The first-round playoff opener against the Aces drew an average of 2.1 million viewers on ABC on Sunday, peaking at 2.6 million. That was the biggest audience ever for a WNBA playoff game on ABC and third most watched ever on an ESPN network — and the game went up against the NFL.
Prior to Clark’s arrival, the Fever were averaging just over 4,000 fans a game. This past season they were drawing over four times that, on average. Indiana has been the top road team in attendance all three years Clark has been in the league.
Clark is no stranger to drawing strong ratings. Her Iowa team played in the two highest-rated games in women’s college basketball history during the Final Four in her senior year. The Hawkeyes’ NCAA title game loss to South Carolina in 2024 drew an average of 18.7 million fans — outdrawing the men’s championship contest a day later.
The top five most watched WNBA games on the ESPN networks this year all involved the Fever.
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