INDIANAPOLIS — Angel Reese sat alone on the visitors’ bench, smiling and chatting during a pregame TV interview. Outside Gainbridge Fieldhouse, thousands of fans in new gear waited to register for the only game on the WNBA schedule this Saturday. It was a matinee that was moved to a nicer TV spot without any tip from the same time. Even the NBA is on a mini break before the finals.
Soon after, fans flocked to that same corner, clamoring for the autographs of No. 1 overall pick Caitlin Clark. The only cheers they gave during the quick monotonous introductions of the opponents were for Reese.
But it was just another match on the schedule, Reese emphasized to the large group of media surrounding her.
Certainly. Like how the Elite Eight game two months ago was just a game.
The players may shy away from the hoopla, but the millions of fans tuning in at a historic pace refuse. The Fever’s first of four games against the Sky this season is a renewed rivalry and one that features their favorite collegiate showdown with Clark and Reese, the No. 7 overall pick.
Add to that the professional debut of Sky No. 3 Kamilla Cardoso, who missed the first six games due to a shoulder injury, and the rookies were the main attraction in the Fever’s 71-70 victory on Saturday. It was their first home win of the season (2-8) and briefly puts them at the top of the Commissioner’s Cup standings. The Sky dropped to 3-4.
Everywhere you looked were the superstars of the record-breaking 2023 and 2024 Final Fours that set the tone in women’s basketball. The connection map of matchups reflected a Charlie conspiracy meme. The group represents the first generation of college name, image and likeness deals and remains a leader in women’s basketball interest. The excitement has extended to the WNBA, which has been experiencing a multi-year growth spurt.
“We did a great job taking the game to the next level,” Reese said before the game.
Clark has a healthy perspective on the group moving the sport forward.
“People who are making a big impact in this league from a young age, whether it’s Aliyah [Boston]Whether it’s me, whether it’s Angel …’ Clark told a small group of reporters after Friday’s practice. “And I think Kamilla will have the same effect if she really goes out there and finds her feet.” I think it’s fun. It’s cool to see how the rookie class is doing.”
During their first meeting, Clark and Reese each shined at what they do best. Clark hit two early 3-pointers and brought the home crowd to a rare roar during a rough start to the season. She went cold after that and finished with 11 points, shooting 4-for-11 and 2-for-9 from deep. But she once again topped the stats with eight rebounds, six assists and a steal. Several times she made dazzling passes, including one in transition to an acrobatic Kelsey Mitchell and -1 layup.
Clark credited a defensive stop, a glaring problem for the Fever who improved against the Sky, for starting the game.
“Those are stimulating team games, and I think that was definitely a moment that we needed at that time,” Clark said. “Kelsey made a very impressive play to finish it off.”
Reese scored eight points (2-of-9 from the floor) with one assist and a steal, but pulled down 13 rebounds as the Sky won the battle on the glass by 10. Her eight offensive rebounds were a franchise rookie record.
“What’s special about her is she’s been so dominant in what she’s done since we played in high school,” Clark said.
Another player Clark is confident she respects? Cardoso, who gave Iowa matchup problems in their Final Four meetings and that continued against the Fever. She was on a minutes restriction, but immediately made her presence known in the first quarter with two putbacks on offensive rebounds.
“You can’t teach 6-7,” Reese said, referring to Cardoso’s height.
In 18 minutes, Cardoso scored 11 points on 5-for-7 shooting, the best clip of any rookie on the floor. She had six rebounds, but five personal fouls. A couple came out of Boston’s guard, her former South Carolina teammate.
The two hugged before the match, which Cardoso targeted as her return weeks ago. Boston and Victaria Saxton, a Fever reserve from South Carolina, had cheered her up in early May when they last saw her at the Indianapolis premiere of the docuseries “Full Court Press,” starring Clark and Cardoso.
Of course, Boston said, they didn’t expect at the time that the moment they told Cardoso to be patient would come against them. Boston also made a few mistakes in drafting Cardoso, her former backup at South Carolina.
The rookies were the headliners, but the more distant collegiate superstars provided the decisive show. Boston’s and-1 with 1:19 left gave the Fever enough space to pull out a win. The 2023 No. 1 pick and reigning Rookie of the Year had 10 points, eight rebounds, four blocks and two assists.
“That was huge at the end,” Sides said.
NaLyssa Smith, the Fever’s No. 2 overall pick in 2022, kept the scoring pace for Indiana with 17 points, one of Mitchell’s team-high 18. Chennedy Carter, a 2020 lottery pick out of Texas A&M who is known collegiately for scoring a record of 34 points against Team USA led the Sky with 19 points and six assists off the bench. She backed Clark up on an incoming play that could have been reviewed for a faulty upgrade.
The league’s hottest ticket of the week was delivered to the sold-out crowd of 17,274, hosting a game that likely only needed one free throw to go to overtime. In the waning seconds of the final possession, Smith launched a near loose ball from Marina Mabrey and fouled Mabrey, who missed the first but hit the second.
It was the fourth match with at least 15,000 home fans for the Fever, and the season’s total of 82,857 has already surpassed the 20-match 2023 home season’s total attendance of 81,336. The Clark effect continues, as does the rookie effect across the league.
The group has already had a major impact on ticket sales this season. Saturday’s match was the most popular ticket ($155 average price) ever for the Sky dating back to 2017, when Vivid Seats started keeping records. It defeated Game 4 of the 2021 WNBA Finals ($104) as Sky and hometown star Candace Parker captured the title over Phoenix. According to Vivid Seats, average Sky ticket prices rose by 123% after Reese’s drafting.
Each rookie matchup draws more attention. Clark and Reese already faced Sparks’ No. 2 pick Cameron Brink and Storm second-round pick Nika Mühl, who performed well defensively against Clark in the UConn-Iowa Final Four game.
Clark’s former teammate, Kate Martin, is playing key minutes for the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces. Alissa Pili, Utah’s star forward and No. 8 pick, lit up Friday night with 20 points in 15 minutes for the Minnesota Lynx.
“You feel like you’re part of their journey to enjoy that,” Clark said of the rookie class. “I would say more than anything, it’s like we’re in a process together and like we’re almost sharing each other’s moments.”
There will be more, and none of the matches will be just another match on the schedule.
