By Amy Tennery
INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) -Caitlin Clark may be an injury doubt for this weekend’s All-Star game but her star power in Fever country remains indisputable, as Indianapolis prepares to host the WNBA showcase with their sharpshooting talisman the undeniable center of the show.
The Indiana Fever’s Rookie of the Year sat out Wednesday’s game against the defending champions New York Liberty due to a right groin injury.
“We just have to take it one day at a time. It’s frustrating for her,” coach Stephanie White told reporters on Wednesday, adding that no discussion had been made yet on Clark’s status for the All-Star Game.
“It’s a big deal for us to have All-Star in Indianapolis – and, of course, with Caitlin being a focal point of that. As the coach of the Indiana Fever, it’s not a bigger deal than our long-term season.”
The injury is a rare frustration for the icy-veined guard who never missed a college game due to injury and had appeared all but indestructible since she burst to mainstream U.S. fame last year.
Clark sent shockwaves through women’s sport as she broke the all-time collegiate scoring record in her final year at Iowa, with her dazzling logo threes and uncanny no-look passing ability making her games appointment viewing in the U.S.
A record 18.7 million tuned in for her team’s championship clash with South Carolina, the most watched basketball game across men’s, women’s, college or professional sport for five years.
Days later, she went to the Indiana Fever first overall in the WNBA Draft and her arrival in Indianapolis was nothing short of a coronation.
Average attendance at Fever games went from just a bit over 4,000 per game in 2023 to more than 17,000 in her rookie season, eclipsing the average attendance of their NBA counterparts, the Indiana Pacers, which was around 16,500 in the 2023-24 season.
The enthusiasm has endured in her second WNBA season, with the Fever’s game on Sunday against 2025 first overall pick Paige Bueckers and her Dallas Wings averaging 2.1 million, the fourth most-viewed WNBA game ever on broadcaster ABC.
“We’re benefiting from that halo effect of having arguably the most popular WNBA player in recent history – if not ever – given her popularity coming out of college,” said Leonard Hoops, the president and CEO of Visit Indy.
“That’s kind of elevated Indianapolis’ brand with it when it comes to basketball. I mean, I think even the Pacers have gotten more popular.”
Clark is a fitting figurehead for a state that can reasonably call itself the capital of American basketball, with “Hoosier Hysteria” a decades-old phenomenon and a crowded pantheon of Indiana basketball greats.
Out-of-towners were greeted with a replica WNBA court when they stepped off the plane at Indianapolis International Airport this week, where a merchandise shop filled with Clark t-shirts was available before travelers could even reach baggage claim.
Indianapolis had only about a year to prepare but quickly embraced the chance, with around 60 ticketed events planned for the weekend, including WNBA Live, a massive fan festival at the Indiana Convention Center.
“Fever Fest,” an All-Star Game watch party on Saturday with music and comedy, will accommodate fans who could not snag a ticket to the sold-out game, with organizers expecting between 4,000 and 5,000 attendees.
“Having All-Star weekend in (Clark’s) home city is going to be probably the most high-profile All-Star weekend in league history,” said Blaine Zimmerman, chief talent and marketing officer with Indy Chamber.
“We’re looking to become the women’s sports capital of the world. And this is a really good step heading in that direction.”
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in IndianapolisEditing by Toby Davis)
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