Connecticut Sun fans shout 'We want Caitlin' Clark during game against Indiana Fever
Chants of “We want Caitlin” rained down as Caitlin Clark sat on the bench of the Indiana Fever’s game against the Connecticut Sun.
Clark had four fouls and was inactive since the middle of the third quarter. Despite being on the road, Clark’s popularity didn’t waver.
You can see in the video below as Clark was limited to just 22 minutes of game time.
Connecticut improved to 10-1 at the end of the night with a 89-72 win over the Fever (3-10). Clark already made a highlight reel shot with a logo three.
In 22 minutes, Clark finished with 10 points, two assists and one steal. She shot three-of-eight from the field and two-of-five from three against arguably the best team in the league.
It was an average performance Monday for the rookie sensation. But Clark’s garnered the most attention in the WNBA in recent memory, despite being mostly silent this year.
The conversation around Clark is deafening with takes ranging from what she means to the game, whether she deserves the spotlight or not, if it’s positive or negative, to even if she deserves a spot on Team USA this year.
“Let’s get something straight, she doesn’t belong on the Olympic team. She hasn’t deserved to be on the Olympic team,” ESPN’s Mike Wilbon said. “She is not as good as 20 American women who can be on their team, probably 25. And I’m tired of people including my dear friends Christine Brennan and Stephen A. Smith, saying ‘well she can grow the game.’ The point is not to grow the game. The point is to win the games. We play to win the games.
“The Olympic team is about who deserves to be there. She does not deserve to be there. She’s handled it beautifully. She can go in the future, she will earn the right to go to the Olympics probably in four years. Now, she’s not close to deserving.”
Whether Clark is deserving or not is another debate. But there’s no question she’s the main attraction right now. The Washington Mystics moved their game to the Wizards’ Capital One Arena and sold out their game against Indiana and Clark.
The Fever vs. the Mystics was the highest-attended WNBA game since 2007, with 20,333.