More than three hours before Caitlin Clark made her WNBA debut with the Indiana Fever in an exhibition game against the Dallas Wings on Friday night, some fans among the sellout crowd were lined up outside the arena dressed in No. 22 University of Iowa jerseys.
Christina Edge, who lived in Iowa for 35 years before moving to the Dallas suburb of Rowlett three years ago, said arriving that early at the University of Texas-Arlington's College Park Center would increase her chances of landing a photo with the basketball phenomenon who was the two-time national player of the year with the Iowa Hawkeyes.
鈥淚t鈥檚 my birthday,鈥 said Edge, who said her son gave her the ticket as a birthday gift, 鈥渁nd I just want a picture with her!鈥 She carried a bright yellow posterboard sign advertising that plea.
Pailynn Amos, 9, was also outside the arena wearing a yellow Clark jersey with her own sign 鈥 鈥淲hen I grow up I wanna be just like her.鈥
Rebecca Amos, Pailynn鈥檚 mother, made the approximately hour-long drive from the town of Ennis.
鈥淚 watched her (on TV) like crazy,鈥 Rebecca said. 鈥淪o, she (Pailynn) just kind of grew to her. Then we were like, 鈥榃ow, now she鈥檚 in Dallas.鈥 We could actually go see her!鈥
Clark received a rousing ovation before tipoff when introduced with Indiana鈥檚 starters.
The WNBA鈥檚 first preseason game was played the same night that the NBA鈥檚 Dallas Mavericks hosted the LA Clippers in Game 6 of a first-round playoff series about 20 miles away.
The exhibition game was the first of two for the Fever before Clark will make her regular-season debut on May 14 at the Connecticut Sun.
Clark, whose long-range shooting and spectacular passing made for must-see TV while taking Iowa to the last two NCAA women鈥檚 national title games, said after the morning shootaround she had no statistical goals for Friday鈥檚 game.
鈥淒id you give it every single thing you had? I think that鈥檚 the biggest thing,鈥 Clark said. 鈥淚 want to step out onto the court, and then I want to leave the court tonight and feel like I played like Caitlin Clark鈥檚 played my entire life.鈥
The game sold out all 6,251 seats soon after it was announced on Dallas鈥 schedule, specifically requested by Wings president and CEO Greg Bibb soon after Clark declared in February she would leave college for the WNBA with one year of eligibility remaining. Indiana won the lottery for this year鈥檚 first pick last December.
A local television crew recorded the Fever鈥檚 arrival at DFW International Airport on Thursday. During Clark鈥檚 media session on Friday morning, she addressed the request to sign a couple's ultrasound picture.
鈥淭hat was definitely a first,鈥 she said with a laugh.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 going to be loud tonight, probably the loudest preseason game I鈥檝e ever been part of,鈥 said Wings centre Kalani Brown. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really great that Caitlin鈥檚 bringing all this attention to women鈥檚 basketball, so I鈥檓 really grateful for that. It鈥檚 great for our game.鈥
Wings forward Maddy Segrist said, 鈥淗opefully it鈥檚 not too many Indiana fans.鈥
鈥淭his is what women鈥檚 basketball has deserved for quite some time now,鈥 said Fever centre Aliyah Boston, last season鈥檚 WNBA rookie of the year and the women鈥檚 collegiate player of the year before Clark鈥檚 run. 鈥淚t鈥檚 better late than never. I鈥檓 really excited for what鈥檚 to come for this league.鈥
The Wings last month said they had sold out their season-ticket allotment, which accounts for about 2,500 seats.
Indiana will return to College Park Center to play twice during the regular season, on July 17 in the last game before the WNBA鈥檚 nearly month-long Olympic hiatus and one day after the MLB All-Star Game is played at the Texas Rangers鈥 home stadium less than three miles away. The Fever also play there Sept. 1.
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