For Caitlin Clark, it’s simply a game of basketball.
Following the Indiana Fever’s 91-79 victory over the Atlanta Dream on Friday night, the team has now achieved four consecutive wins for the first time since the 2015 season. This is also the first time since that season, when they reached the WNBA Finals, that they have won six games within an eight-game span.
The Fever will continue their five-game road trip by facing the Chicago Sky on Sunday afternoon at Wintrust Arena, located on the campus of DePaul University. On Friday night, Caitlin Clark was asked if rivalry games bring out an extra level of effort and determination.
“I’m pretty sure the only people who see this as a rivalry are all of you (media),” Clark said after the win. “For us, it’s just a basketball game. That’s what it is. And if it helps promote the game, that’s amazing. That’s how it should be. People can talk about it.”
The Fever and Sky have already faced each other twice this season, both times in Indiana, with the Fever winning each game by single digits. In both matchups, Clark was flagrantly fouled in the third quarter—by Chennedy Carter on June 1 and by the 2024 No. 7 pick, Reese, in the subsequent game. Clark remarked that Carter’s foul was not a basketball-like play, whereas she shrugged off Reese’s foul, explaining that Reese was simply going for the block and the head contact was incidental.
Despite Carter’s hip-check on an inbounds play during the June 1 game, she later caught and held Clark upright in their June 16 rematch after Clark had leapt toward Carter and Sky guard Dana Evans while attempting a shot.
“What about playing at the United Center instead of Wintrust Arena?”
Clark shifted the conversation away from the rivalry aspect and instead discussed how Sunday’s third matchup could have been better suited for the United Center, home to the Chicago Bulls and the largest-capacity NBA arena. Wintrust Arena, where the Fever will play Sunday, has a capacity of around 10,000, half that of the United Center.
“I saw the ticket prices,” Clark said about Sunday. “I’m just surprised we’re not playing at the United Center. I thought it would have been great for the game and for all the women’s basketball fans in Chicago. Maybe there’s a conflict I’m unaware of. Obviously, that’s a bit above my pay grade. But we’re excited—one game at a time.”
The Atlanta Dream, whom the Fever defeated Friday night for their fourth consecutive win, moved the game to State Farm Arena, home to the Atlanta Hawks. This change was announced in mid-May, and the Friday night game was sold out. The Dream reported an attendance of 17,575—the largest home crowd in Dream franchise history and the fifth-largest crowd in the WNBA this season. Atlanta’s previous attendance record was set during their inaugural home game in 2008, which drew 11,609 people.
However, there will be an artist performing at the United Center on Sunday evening.
Caitlin Clark is attracting thousands of fans wherever she plays. The attendance for the Washington Mystics game earlier this month exceeded 20,000, and there were crowds before and after the game hoping to get Clark’s autograph. This was also the case in Atlanta, according to Chloe Peterson of the Indianapolis Star.
When asked if large road crowds cheering for the Fever help, Clark responded, “Absolutely. A lot of these crowds we’re playing in front of aren’t as many cheering against us. That certainly helps… it was similar in college, except for the IU fans. They were pretty crazy. So it definitely adds an extra emotion… I think that’s just energy you can feed off of.”
Clark acknowledged Indiana women’s basketball fans, recalling Iowa’s game at Indiana in February, which they lost 86-69. This was one of only five losses for the Hawkeyes in her senior year. The game was sold out with over 17,000 fans in attendance. For the Fever, securing more confidence-boosting wins during their four remaining games on this road trip will be crucial.
They’ve surged into the playoff picture and are now neck-and-neck with the Sky for the final spot.
Time will tell how intense or subdued Sunday’s “rivalry” game will be.