Believe the hype! Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham are growing the global appeal in women’s basketball to unprecedented levels

TORONTO: More than 19,000 fans packed Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday to watch Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever take on the Toronto Tempo, offering another glimpse of the growing appetite for the WNBA beyond the US.

For Clark, one of the biggest names in women’s basketball, it was a first visit to Canada and another opportunity to witness the reach she and the league have developed.

“Basketball is a game that brings a lot of people together,” Clark said before the game. “And I think that’s what’s so amazing about it.”

The “Caitlin Clark effect” has been a major part of the WNBA’s recent surge in attention. The Fever have become the league’s most-watched team, while games involving Indiana have repeatedly attracted larger audiences and prompted teams to move fixtures to bigger arenas to accommodate demand.

That effect was evident in Toronto. Even before the Fever arrived at Scotiabank Arena, Clark noticed supporters waiting outside wearing her jersey.

“Even when we were driving up on the bus, there were already people waiting outside in my jersey,” Clark said. “Those are kind of pinch-me moments. Those are moments you never take for granted. It’s really cool that people are waiting two-and-a-half hours before the game.”

The Fever went on to beat the Tempo 101-95 for their fifth consecutive victory, with Clark finishing with 24 points and seven assists. Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana with 29 points, extending her streak of 20-point games to 20 and tying A’ja Wilson for the longest such run in WNBA history.

Toronto pushed Indiana until the closing stages, with Marina Mabrey leading the hosts with 22 points and Brittney Sykes scoring 15 on her return after eight weeks out with a foot injury.

But the significance of