Fever players credit Caitlin Clark with popularity surge after record WNBA crowd: ‘We appreciate her for this’

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever are on a 6-1 run, with Clark seemingly running away with the Rookie of the Year award. Colin Cowherd and Nick Wright ask if the WNBA is doing enough to support Clark's rising stardom.

The Indiana Fever closed out the regular season the same way they began it – in record fashion. 

When Caitlin Clark made her WNBA debut against the Connecticut Sun back in May, the matchup set the record for the most-watched WNBA game in more than 20 years, with 2.1 million viewers tuning in to see the former Iowa star take center stage.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, #22, signs mini basketballs for fans following in a WNBA basketball game against the Dallas Wings in Indianapolis on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

On Thursday night, the Fever set another record in front of a crowd of 20,711 fans, the largest attendance in WNBA history.  

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This year’s rookie class set a new standard for women’s basketball, but Clark led the charge, and her teammates recognized the impact she has had on the game. 

"It’s huge," NaLyssa Smith said of the crowd that attended Thursday’s narrow loss to the Washington Mystics. 

"This is what we’ve been hoping for forever. It’s fun to play in front of these [crowds]. You never get used to it. Just always showing up and playing in front of sold-out crowds, and I mean, shoutout Caitlin. Shoutout Caitlin, we appreciate her for this."

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, #22, celebrates after a three-point basket against the Dallas Wings in the first half of a WNBA basketball game in Indianapolis on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

CAITLIN CLARK'S FIRST SEASON FINALE IS MOST-ATTENDED WNBA GAME