The WNBA and the Indiana Fever have every reason to celebrate: Caitlin Clark, the league's most electrifying sharpshooter, is back on the court. After a frustrating 2024 season that saw her sidelined for all but 13 games due to a series of soft-tissue injuries—including a groin issue that kept her out for the entire second half—the Fever's star is ready to reignite the court.
Clark's impact on the league has been nothing short of historic. Since she entered the WNBA in the 2024 draft, the league has shattered records in attendance and television viewership. This surge has fueled rapid franchise expansion and paved the way for a transformative new labor deal, signaling a golden era for women's basketball.
But Clark isn't the only one making waves. Angel Reese, arguably her biggest on-court rival, made headlines in 2024 by calling for recognition of her own contributions to the league's growth. "People are talking about women's basketball that you'd never think would be talking about women's basketball," Reese said. "People are pulling up to games. We've got celebrities coming to games, sold-out arenas just because of one single game."
Reese, who has embraced the "bad guy" role in the media, added, "I'll take that role and continue to be that for my teammates. I know I'll go down in history. In 20 years, I'll look back and say, 'Yeah, the reason we're watching women's basketball is not just because of one person—it's because of me too.' A lot of us have done so much for this game."
While Reese is right that Clark isn't solely responsible for the WNBA's boom, the numbers don't lie: Clark is the most popular player in league history by a wide margin. The WNBA knows it, too. For the 2026 season, the league has scheduled all 44 of the Indiana Fever's regular-season games for national television—a record-breaking move that underscores Clark's star power.
As Clark and the Fever gear up for their first preseason action, the excitement is palpable. With the league's brightest spotlight fixed on Indiana, this season promises to be one for the history books.