Caitlin Clark’s a lot anticipated WNBA debut is about for Tuesday night time in Connecticut.
The No. 1 decide within the WNBA draft is coming off a record-setting school profession at Iowa.
“That is what you have labored for and dreamed of. Now you get to place your jersey on for the primary actual time and go on the market and play,” Clark stated. “We get to play on the largest stage, there’s gonna be lots of people there, it is gonna be loud. However you solely play your first WNBA sport as soon as. I feel I simply wish to get pleasure from it. It is gonna be aggressive. They’re actually good, so you have to prep the suitable means, too. Greater than something, we’re prepared for the problem.”
Even earlier than taking part in a WNBA sport, Clark has left her mark within the execs. The league’s draft had file viewership, and her No. 22 jerseys have been flying off the cabinets.
Three WNBA groups have already moved their video games to greater arenas to maintain up with the demand for tickets to observe her play. Her debut in Connecticut is bought out — the primary sellout for the Solar in a season opener since they performed their inaugural sport at Mohegan Solar Area in 2003 after shifting from Orlando.
This would be the second bought out crowd Clark will play in entrance of in her extraordinarily younger WNBA profession. Her preseason sport in Dallas was bought out, too. Over 13,000 followers additionally turned up for her solely dwelling preseason sport.
WATCH: Toronto is getting a WNBA workforce. What it means for town, gamers and followers:
Girls’s skilled basketball is coming to Toronto in Could 2026. CBC Sports activities has discovered that Kilmer Sports activities Inc., headed by Toronto billionaire Larry Tanenbaum, has been granted an enlargement franchise with the Girls’s Nationwide Basketball Affiliation.
Clark’s dwelling debut will likely be Thursday, when the Fever host the New York Liberty.
Right here are some things to search for within the season forward:
Constitution Flights
Groups will journey on charters as a substitute of economic flights this season, the league introduced final week. The WNBA remains to be engaged on implementing this system and it might take a couple of weeks for each workforce to be flying charters. Beforehand, WNBA groups might solely constitution throughout the postseason and for regular-season video games on back-to-back days requiring air journey.
Solely two of the 4 groups that traveled for the opening night time video games used constitution planes. The Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx took charters, whereas New York bused to Washington and Phoenix had a brief business flight to Las Vegas.
The league plans to fund constitution flights at a price of about $50 million over the subsequent two years in a transfer that addresses years of participant security issues. Journey has been an enormous matter of debate for years.
WATCH: Canadian Aaliyah Edwards heads to the WNBA:
The Canadian ahead was not too long ago drafted sixth total by the Washington Mystics.
Altering Squads
As soon as once more, there was a whole lot of motion in free company with All-Stars Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith becoming a member of the Seattle Storm, whereas Natasha Cloud and Kahleah Copper moved to the Phoenix Mercury. Each units of gamers hope to get their new groups again in competition for a championship.
Olympic Break
The league will take practically a monthlong break for the Paris Olympic Video games from July 18-Aug. 14. Dozens of present and former WNBA gamers will likely be competing.
The WNBA can have its All-Star Sport in Phoenix proper earlier than the Olympics begin. The midseason showcase will probably pit the U.S. nationwide workforce towards a gaggle of All-Stars. The All-Stars gained the competition in 2021 — the final time the format was carried out.
