Indiana Fever

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark made a ton of memories on her way to winning the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year award, but her signature moment from her first year might surprise many.

During an appearance on 60 Minutes, Clark told Jon Wertheim that a run-in with New York Liberty forward Jonquel Jones provided an early welcome-to-the-league moment.

"I remember we were in New York and Jonquel Jones set a good screen on me and I popped my eardrum, ruptured my eardrum just on a screen," she said. "It was a really good screen by JJ, she's a tremendous player, but I think that just kind of speaks to the physicality of the league. She got me in the right spot."

Clark set the WNBA single-season assist record and broke the all-time rookie scoring record. She also helped the Fever make their first playoff appearance since 2016, though they lost to the Connecticut Sun in the first round.

Still, the 22-year-old said the screen Jones made a lasting impression on her that she will carry throughout her career.

"It's a good story, I think it's something that I'll always remember coming into this league," she said. When asked how it compares to her triple-doubles or record-breaking moments, she said, "That's probably more memorable, honestly."

Indiana Fever star rookie Caitlin Clark and teammate Lexie Hull were shown on the big board at Lucas Oil Stadium during Sunday's matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers and received a nice ovation from fans.

Clark, 22, was named the WNBA's Rookie of the Year after averaging 19.2 points, 8.4 assists, 5.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 5.6 turnovers per game, shooting 41.7 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from three. She helped lead the Fever to a playoff berth, though the team was swept in the first round by the Connecticut Sun.

Nonetheless, it was a fantastic rookie campaign that arguably exceeded the huge expectations, and hype, she brought with her to the WNBA. Clark very much looks to be on a trajectory of superstardom and has Fever fans more than a little excited about the future.

LeBron James has been impressed with Caitlin Clark's rookie season as a member of the Indiana Fever.

The Los Angeles Lakers superstar discussed his respect for Clark, a fellow former No. 1 overall draft pick, in an interview with Brian O'Keefe of Esquire.

I have a great deal of respect for Caitlin Clark, because I know exactly what it means to be drafted, be the face of a franchise, and also get the scrutiny from a lot of people that don't believe you're ready for the next jump, don't believe you're ready for the big leagues, and just don't think that you belong. And I remember that when I came into the league at eighteen years old how many people doubted me and hoped and prayed that I'd fail. And so, me watching Caitlin and seeing what she's doing, I've been in support of her since day one, because I remember myself going through that, and she has my support 100 percent. She's a transcendent player. And obviously we all saw that at Iowa, and I knew that it would translate to the big leagues. And she's an unbelievable talent. It's great to watch.

Although Indiana's season came to an end with a first-round playoff loss to the Connecticut Sun, the former Iowa standout exceeded expectations in her inaugural WNBA campaign. She was rewarded with the 2024 Rookie of the Year honor on Friday, via Shams Charania of The Athletic.

After she wrapped up a four-year college career with the Hawkeyes, winning three straight Big Ten Player of the Year awards and becoming the NCAA's all-time leading scorer, her popularity was already high before she was selected with the top choice in the 2024 draft.

It's easy to see why James can relate to her situation, as high expectations also surrounded the 20-time All-Star when he was in high school. The Cleveland Cavaliers drafted him out of high school at No. 1 in 2003, with the Cavaliers announcing their intention to select James directly after winning the draft lottery.

The four-time MVP hasn't been shy about praising Clark, posting about her on social media during her 2024 NCAA Tournament run with Iowa as well as her first season in Indiana.

Clark's scoring average of 19.2 points per game with the Fever was the highest mark among all rookies in 2024. She also recorded 8.4 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game on 41.7/34.4/90.6 shooting splits.

The 22-year-old made history several times throughout the season, setting new single-game (19) and single-season (337) assist records. Her 769 total points also represented a new WNBA single-season rookie scoring record.

Clark helped the Fever earn their first playoff appearance since 2016. She'll look to improve even further in her second season, and she already has the support of the NBA's all-time leading scorer as she does so.

The WNBA recorded its highest total attendance in more than two decades as a 2024 draft class led by the Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky's Angel Reese helped the league set all-time records for viewership and merchandise sales.

WNBA games averaged 9,807 fans per regular-season game in 2024, a 48 percent increase over the 2023 season, according to a Friday press release.

The league marked a total attendance of more than 2.35 million, the most tickets the WNBA has sold in 22 years.

Teams also recorded sellouts in 154 games, marking a 242 percent increase over last season's total of 45 sellouts, according to the WNBA.

The Fever, who used the No. 1 pick of the 2024 draft to select Clark, set a WNBA record with a total home attendance of 340,715.

A Sept. 19 game between the Fever and the Washington Mystics in Washington, D.C. additionally set a single-season attendance record by drawing in 20,711 fans.

The WNBA also set multiple broadcast standards in 2024, with the league reporting record totals of 54 million unique viewers and 22 individual broadcasts averaging more than one million viewers.

Both ESPN and CBS Sports marked their most-watched regular WNBA seasons ever, while ABC's broadcast of the 2024 All-Star Game saw a 305 percent increase in viewers as 3.4 million people tuned in to see Clark and Reese compete for Team WNBA against the American Olympic team.

In addition to the Fever's impact on the league's attendance totals, Clark's team also played a significant role in the league's viewership spikes. Indiana games that set new WNBA viewership records at ABC, ESPN2, CBS and NBA TV.

WNBA viewership in Canada meanwhile increased 148 percent from the 2023 season following league's May announcement of an upcoming expansion franchise set to be located in Toronto.

The league also set an all-time record in merchandise sales, with sales from the WNBA website and the flagship store in New York City increasing 601 percent from the 2023 season.

As of Aug. 21, according to Boardroom and Fanatics, the best-selling WNBA jerseys produced by Fanatics belonged to Clark and Reese, followed by the New York Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu and the Las Vegas Aces' Kate Martin and A'ja Wilson.

The WNBA will now look to drive that spike in league interest past the end of Clark and Reese's season as the 2024 playoffs enter the second round. The semifinals begin on Sunday with an afternoon Aces at Liberty game followed by an evening contest featuring the Connecticut Sun at the Minnesota Lynx.

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has won the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year Award, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.

She's the third Fever player to receive the honor, joining Tamika Catchings and teammate Aliyah Boston.

Clark shook off a sluggish start to have one of the best debut campaigns in league history. She averaged 19.2 points, 8.4 assists and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 41.7 percent from the floor and 34.4 percent from beyond the arc.

The 6'0" guard also claimed multiple league and team records, including having the most assists in a single game (19) and across an entire season (337).

Few players have entered the WNBA burdened with more hype and expectations than Clark, and that set the bar almost impossibly high. Even entertaining the idea she might be an MVP candidate belied how difficult the adjustment is from college to the pros in women's basketball.

Clark proceeded to have a tough first month. In nine games across May, she put up 17.6 points per game on 37.7 percent shooting and averaged nearly as many turnovers (5.7) as assists (6.6).

The Fever also went 1-8 during that stretch, leading many to question whether the franchise's playoff drought would extend to eight years.

Over in the Windy City, Angel Reese fully capitalized with the Rookie of the Year race opening up and set some records of her own. Her 446 total rebounds were briefly the most in a season, and she went a WNBA-record 15 straight games with a double-double.

Reese averaged 13.6 points and led the WNBA rebounds by hauling in 13.1 per game.

A wrist injury brought her year to a premature end, though, with six games left in the regular season. That all but handed Rookie of the Year to Clark, who was already edging ahead thanks to her and the Fever's surge after the Olympic break.

Her exclusion from Team USA sparked a lot of debate, but it was a blessing in disguise as it afforded her time off she didn't enjoy between the end of the college season and the start of her WNBA career.

Clark averaged 23.1 points and 8.9 assists after the monthlong pause break as Indiana secured a spot in the postseason.

What was shaping up to be a close ROY vote proved to be pretty decisive in Clark's favor. There's no reason to believe her and Reese's competitive rivalry is going anywhere, though.

Caitlin Clark believes the Indiana Fever will be able to recover from this week's first-round sweep by the Connecticut Sun in time to contend for the WNBA title next fall.

"Next year, we're wanting to be a top-four seed," Clark said during Friday's exit interviews (1:10 mark of the video below.) "We believe we can build this place into a championship contender.

"That's what I believe. That's why I'm going to do everything in my power to help this organization get there, but you've got to let it hurt you a little bit, and really drive you throughout the offseason."

The Fever qualified for the playoffs this season, breaking a seven-season postseason drought that had lasted since 2016, in large part thanks to the boost offered by the selection of Clark as the No. 1 pick of the 2024 WNBA draft.

Amid a second-half surge for the star rookie, the Fever came out of the midseason Olympic break to win nine of their final 14 regular-season games and end the season with a 20-20 overall record and a No. 6 overall ranking.

That allowed the Fever to rank among the eight teams that qualified for the playoffs but pitted them against a 28-12 Sun squad with home-court advantage in the first round.

Clark struggled during a 93-69 loss to the Sun in Game 1, then saw a resurgence in Wednesday's Game 2 as she helped lead a Fever comeback attempt that fell short in the 87-81 elimination loss.

With both Clark and 2023 No. 1 pick Aliyah Boston set to play in Indiana for the next several seasons, the Fever will focus on working out a new contract for pending unrestricted free agent Kelsey Mitchell.

If all three players return next season, Clark is setting her hopes higher than just another playoff qualification.

Finishing top-four in the league in 2025 would allow the Fever to open their next postseason series at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where the team has enjoyed the highest attendance in the league during the 2024 season. After Clark's unanimous selection as the AP Rookie of the Year, the Fever will hope to see their 17,000-strong home crowd return as the team seeks another playoff berth in 2025.

Caitlin Clark addressed the abuse that her fellow WNBA players have experienced from fans in games against the Indiana Fever.

Speaking to reporters Friday, Clark described the people making any racist and derogatory comments as "trolls" and no one in the league should be subject to any type of verbal abuse.

"Those aren't fans," she added.

Following the Fever's playoff loss to the Connecticut Sun, Alyssa Thomas told reporters after Game 2 on Wednesday that she "never experienced the racial comments from the Indiana Fever fan base" in her 11-year career that she did during that series.

"I've never been called the things that I've been called on social media and there's no place for it," Thomas added.

Fever forward NaLyssa Smith posted on X that her girlfriend, Sun guard DiJonai Carrington, was receiving death threats, being followed and being "called all type of s--t" after Carrington inadvertently poked Clark in the eye in Game 1.

This isn't the first time that Fever fans have been called out for making racist and derogatory remarks to an opposing player.

Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese said on the debut episode of her podcast that she believes Clark doesn't stand on anything negative the fans say, but those people can get "very disrespectful" to the point they have stalked her going home and sent her death threats.

In the wake of Thomas' comments, the WNBA issued a statement condemning any "racist, threatening or derogatory comments made about players, teams and anyone affiliated with the league."

Clark's rookie season came to an end on Wednesday when the Fever were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Sun.

It is only fitting Caitlin Clark's Indiana Fever team set another ratings record in the final game of her rookie season.

ESPN announced Thursday that Wednesday's first-round playoff game between the Fever and Connecticut Sun posted a Nielsen number of 2.5 million viewers and peaked at 3.4 million viewers. That made it the highest-rated WNBA game on cable in the league's history.

What's more, it was up 507 percent from last year's first-round coverage on ESPN.

This comes as no surprise, as Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes set ratings records when she was in college before the 2024 WNBA draft that saw her selected No. 1 overall also set records.

Her Fever were the most-watched WNBA team this season.

Despite all the interest, Indiana lost in the first round in two games. Clark did what she could in Game 2 against the Sun and finished with 25 points, nine assists, six rebounds, one steal and one block while shooting 10-of-23 from the field.

However, Marina Mabrey's three-pointer in the final minute extended Connecticut's lead to four, and the home team never looked back. She finished with 17 points and six assists, while Alyssa Thomas posted a double-double of 19 points, 13 assists and five rebounds.

While the season didn't end like they wanted, the future remains bright for the Fever thanks in large part to the presence of Clark.

And there will surely be plenty of people tuning in for her second season.