To accommodate the massive audience eager to see Caitlin Clark, the WNBA game was moved to a larger facility.

To accommodate the massive audience eager to see Caitlin Clark, the WNBA game was moved to a larger facility.

Although Caitlin Clark’s WNBA teammates may take exception at the focus on the first choice of the season, there is no denying her impact on interest in the league. The most recent instance was on Friday when Clark’s Fever team went to see the Atlanta Dream. The Dream typically performs in College Park, Georgia’s Gateway Center Arena, which can hold 3,500 people and typically has an abundance of open seats.

However, due to overwhelming demand for tickets, the game was shifted to Atlanta’s Phillips Arena, home of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks. The game drew an estimated 17,575 spectators, smashing the previous record for a Dream game, set on their 2008 debut. An estimated 11,609 people attended that game.

The Fever triumphed in their fourth straight game on the floor, a something the struggling team hasn’t accomplished since 2015. Clark finished with 16 points (6–12) from the field, 7 assists, and 4 rebounds. She committed seven turnovers, continuing to struggle with the problem that has dogged her brief WNBA career. Nevertheless, the Fever won 91-79 with ease.

Clark was not phased by the additional attention, even though his appearance in games at Iowa often drew sizable audiences both at home and away. “These type of environments for me, it’s not that different,” Clark stated. “However, I become something of these settings… You’re used to playing in, I don’t want to say “used to.” It’s enjoyable as well.”

The Chicago Sky, who have faced the Fever twice this season in two contentious games, is another team that has a strong demand for tickets for their next Sunday matchup. Before the ball was even thrown in bounds on the play, Sky player Chennedy Carter controversially fouled Clark in the first quarter by striking her from behind and sending her to the ground. In the second, Angel Reese, a rookie teammate, was called for a hard foul on Clark when she struck his head with her elbow during an effort to stop a shot.