"The Caitlin Clark effect is back" - Sue Bird reviews Fever star's return to Iowa for WNBA preseason game

Indiana Fever's preseason game against the Brazilian National Team was heavily attended due to the Caitlin Clark effect. Aside from being the first time she's hooped with the Fever since last season, it was also a homecoming game for her as it was played at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena — her college home court.

Despite being a preseason contest, fans still flocked to see it, a fact discussed by Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe on Thursday's episode of their "A Touch More" podcast. Rapinoe sang Clark's praises, especially complimenting her confidence and star power.

Meanwhile, Bird shared the figures for how many people tuned in to the game.

"The ratings for this game were 1.28 million" Bird said. "The game was on ESPN, it peaked at 1.6 (million) and she only played like 18 minutes. So, the Caitlin Clark effect is back."

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The Indiana Fever did play a game against the Washington Mystics on Sunday, but Clark did not suit up in that one.

Tickets for the Fever's preseason showdown against the Brazilian National Team went on sale as early as February. However, they were reportedly sold out within minutes of becoming available.

Also read: "Kate Martin attracted a bigger preseason crowd than Caitlin Clark": Fans erupt after Valkyries set the bar high with astounding numbers in WNBA debut

Caitlin Clark hit a logo three against Brazil in their preseason game

Caitlin Clark felt at home suiting up at Carver-Hawkeye Arena again. Although she didn't play long, she dazzled the crowd.

A highlight was Clark's 3-pointer, showcasing her shooting from downtown. In the final moments of the third quarter, the Fever star brought up the ball, slowed down at halfcourt, and made a shot.

She sank the deep-range three from the logo, drawing loud cheers.

In 18:42 mins of court time, Caitlin Clark registered 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting - including 4-of-6 from three - six rebounds, five assists and one block. Indiana dismantled the Brazilian National team, holding them to 44 points while scoring 108. Clark's 16 points weren't the highest; Kelsey Mitchell led with 17. Yet, the Fever excelled with Clark on the court, with a +48 on the +/- stat.

The Indiana Fever's next preseason game is Saturday against the Atlanta Dream.

About the author

Miguel is a basketball writer at Sportskeeda with an overall experience of 7 years. A lover of the sport owing to its mental aspect, he has played it throughout high school and college as a power forward and small forward, and has also coached high school and college basketball teams. These experiences have given him a unique perspective on the game, which translates into insightful content.

For Miguel, the San Antonio Spurs, especially during the Tim Duncan era, were the embodiment of team basketball. He respects Gregg Popovich's empathy toward his players and his understanding of the game. The Spurs' titles, Kobe Bryant's poignant "Dear Basketball" tribute, Derrick Rose's remarkable 50-point game with Minnesota and Magic Johnson's remarkable comeback are among Miguel's top basketball moments.

For his articles, he conducts thorough research, cross verifies information with at least three sources, and sometimes sacrifices speed for accuracy. Content simplification and maintaining a neutral view on topics are his strengths.

Miguel follows other sports, particularly the NFL, and when not working he enjoys hobbies like cooking and playing video games.

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Edited by William Paul