It's no secret the impact Caitlin Clark's had on the Indiana Fever, but the team's recent 2024 attendance announcement is still shocking.
During Saturday's home game against Angel Reese, Kamilla Cardoso and the Chicago Sky, the Fever revealed they've already exceeded their home attendance from last season in a quarter of the games.
Clark hit two early threes and finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and six assists in the 71-70 Fever win, their second of the season and first at home
Saturday's game was Indiana's third sellout this season, bringing its home attendance to 82,857 through five games. Last season, the Fever drew 81,336 fans to their 20 home games, according to Across The Timeline.
Indiana Fever home attendance in 2024:
— Across the Timeline (@WBBTimeline) June 1, 2024
May 16 vs NYL: 17,274
May 20 vs CON: 17,274
May 28 vs LAS: 16,013
May 30 vs SEA: 15,022
June 1 vs CHI: 17,274
82,857 total through 5 passes their 20-game total in 2023 (81,336)
1st team w/ 5 reg. season home games of 15,000+ since 2002
The per-game average gap is staggering, from roughly 4,067 fans in 2023 to 16,572 this year.
The season hasn't begun as fans may have hoped with the Fever at 2-8, but the slow start hasn't diminished their excitement over the franchise's future.
Nor should it.
So far this season, the former Iowa star and NCAA's all-time leading scorer is averaging 16.9 points, 6.5 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game. Clark is the first rookie in league history to score at least 150 points with 50 assists and 40 rebounds in their first nine WNBA games.
The transition to the pros hasn't been entirely seamless. Clark also set the record for most turnovers (51) in a player's first nine games and has shot 32 percent from beyond the arc.
Clark has plenty of room to grow her game. Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where Indiana plays its home games, might need to expand along with her.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!