Clark and the Indiana Fever stop in Phoenix to face Taurasi and Griner

Eyes have followed Caitlin Clark everywhere during her rookie season in the WNBA and Phoenix will be her next stop.

Many venues were able to benefit from Clark’s tour de force in the WNBA, with attendance records and general enthusiasm. But the Phoenix Mercury has yet to reap the benefits in 17 games.

Now, Clark and the Indiana Fever will make their long-awaited arrival for a noon game at the Footprint Center on Sunday.

The game will be televised nationally on ESPN, featuring Caitlin in a marquee matchup against WNBA legend Diana Taurasi and her star teammates Brittney Griner and Kahleah Copper. Tickets were still available early Saturday afternoon, with the lowest price in the top tier starting at $59 on Ticketmaster.

These three Mercury stars have been selected to be part of Team USA for the Paris Olympics. Clark was notably dismissed, a decision that sparked widespread criticism.

That shouldn’t detract from the energy at the Footprint Center on Sunday.

“The crowd on Sunday will have a certain atmosphere, but I’ve been absolutely impressed with our crowd the first eight home games,” head coach Nate Tibbetts said. “The atmosphere will be different on Sunday, but what the people of Phoenix have done, coming out and supporting us, has been absolutely incredible.”

The Mercury (9-8, sixth overall in the league) drew 14,363 fans and recorded its seventh sellout of the season in Friday’s 92-78 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks. The Mercury have ranked in the top two in the league in average attendance for four seasons.

But this season has been different because of Clark’s impact. The Fever (7-12, ninth overall) have gone from second-worst to best in attendance with an average of 16,757. The Fever have eclipsed the combined home attendance totals of the last two seasons in just their first seven home games of 2024.

After his record-breaking years at Iowa, crowds flocked to see Clark in arenas across the Big Ten and beyond. In 2023, the Clark-led Iowa team played an exhibition game in front of 55,646 fans at Kinnick Stadium. It was the first women’s basketball game to be played outdoors in a football stadium and set the NCAA record for attendance for a women’s basketball game.

Television ratings have also seen a surge. The league announced earlier this month that WNBA games are averaging 1.32 million viewers, nearly triple last season’s average of 462,000, thanks to the addition of not only Clark but also other rookie stars such as Angel Reese (Chicago Sky) and Cameron Brink (Los Angeles Sparks).

Caitlin Clark’s star started at Iowa and continues in the WNBA

But without a doubt, Clark has been the story of the 2024 WNBA season. So what makes her stand out?

Clark is coming off a historic senior season, in which she surpassed the Division I college basketball points scoring record of 3,667 points held by 54-year-old “Pistol Pete” Maravich in March. She became the first Division I player to surpass 3,000 points, 1,000 assists and 800 rebounds.

The excitement surrounding her style of play comes from her ability to shoot 3-pointers from the logo, something not typically seen in women’s soccer.

Mercury’s Star Diana Taurasi: responds to criticism of Caitlin Clark’s comments

She also led Iowa to national championship contention. Clark failed to win the NCAA women’s division title game in the last two seasons, but she was easily one of the most talked-about players in both games, boosting television ratings. In her four seasons at Iowa, Clark never lost three straight games.

Since the start of her rookie season, Clark is averaging 16.2 points per game, tied with point guard Kelsey Mitchell for the Fever team lead. She is also averaging 5.5 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.4 steals. The latter two stats lead the team.

On Sunday, she will face two of the most important and well-known players in the WNBA.

Phoenix has always been home to the best college players and has been their home base. Diana Taurasi (2004) and Brittney Griner (2013) were selected first overall.

Taurasi dazzled after winning three straight championships at UConn, while Griner was known for her high-flying dunks at Baylor. Both garnered significant national attention during their respective college careers and rookie seasons, but it’s a different era for the WNBA and women’s sports, which are now garnering increased interest.

Clark’s Final Four victory over UConn in April averaged 14.2 million viewers on ESPN, the most-watched women’s basketball game ever and the largest audience for a basketball broadcast on ESPN.

One thing that was said after that game still sticks in the minds of basketball fans.

During her broadcast of the Final Four, Taurasi warned Clark about her first season in the WNBA.

“Listen, please, reality is coming,” Taurasi told SportsCenter’s Scott Van Pelt of Clark. “There’s levels to this thing. And that’s just life. We’ve all been there. You see it on the NBA side, and you’re going to see it on this side. You look superhuman playing against 18-year-olds, but you’re going to (play against) grown women who have been playing professional basketball for a long time.

Taurasi added that Clark will have a transition period and that she will have to let go, but that she will also improve from this experience. Taurasi has received criticism for her comments, but the physicality of the WNBA versus college has been a transition period for Clark’s game. Clark is averaging 16.2 points per game and is 16th in the league in points scored. She leads the league in turnovers with 106.

Careful not to stir up more controversy, Taurasi astutely answered the question about facing Clark with a four-word response during Wednesday’s practice.

“Yeah, it’ll be fun,” she said.

Fun is one way to describe the chaos that will fill Footprint Center, no matter the score.