In her first statement as a member of the Indiana Fever, Caitlin Clark said that this is a moment that people dream of.
“I can’t think of a better place to start my career.”
Clark, the recent number one pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft, was officially welcomed as a member of the Indiana Fever during an introductory news conference Wednesday morning.
Clark, the former Iowa standout who is the all-time leading scorer in the history of college basketball at any level, was selected as the No. 1 overall pick during Monday evening’s WNBA draft, the second year in a row that the Indiana Fever had that first pick.
Clark, who finished her collegiate career with 3,951 points, declared for the 2024 WNBA Draft in February. In her final season at Iowa, she averaged 31.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game. Clark led the Iowa Hawkeyes to four NCAA tournaments and won three Big Ten tournaments in her time at Iowa.
At multiple points during Wednesday’s conference, Clark expressed her gratitude for being a new member of the Fever, stressing that the organization does things the right way and has a championship pedigree.
Clark said she was ready for a new challenge, accomplishing everything at the University of Iowa that she could. Clark said that staying in the Midwest was a “no-brainer” for her.
Indiana Fever General Manager Lin Dunn said during the conference that she is excited for Clark to be a new member of the Fever. Based on the coaching staff at the University of Iowa, as well as Clark’s family, Dunn said she was not surprised how amazing Clark is.
“Thank you to all the coaching staff at the University of Iowa… and what a great job they have done with this young lady,” Dunn said.
Indiana Fever Head Coach Christie Sides said it is incredible to have someone of Clark’s talent join the Fever. Last season, the team selected South Carolina forward and former Naismith Women’s College Basketball Player of the Year Aliyah Boston with the No. 1 overall pick, something which Sides said laid the foundation.
The team, including Clark and Boston, who won the WNBA Rookie of the Year award last season, is now in a “whole new ballgame,” Sides said.
“Hopefully, we’re going to win a lot of games, to start. (Clark is) going to help us out with that,” Sides said.
Clark said she expects there to be some learning curves for her, being a new player in the WNBA. Clark said that she looks forward to learning from the people around her and playing all the teams in the league. The biggest thing is that Clark wants to get the Indiana Fever back in the playoffs and win a lot of basketball games.
Ultimately, Clark said that fans will come to find, whether they are new or returning fans of the Indiana Fever, how great the organization is. Having young people see women succeed at a high level in the WNBA will help the league as a whole, she stressed.
“The more eyeballs that you get on this league, the better the world will be,” Clark said.
The Indiana Fever will start their 2024 season on the road against the Connecticut Sun on May 14. The Fever will play their first home game of the year at 7 p.m. on May 16 against the New York Liberty at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, located at 125 S Pennsylvania St.
