Caitlin Clark Helps WNBA Team Set Attendance Record In Regular-Season Finale
09/20/2024 09:46 AM
Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever lost in their regular-season finale on Thursday, but they were still able to help set a record in defeat.
The Fever have been the league's most profitable traveling show this season, routinely selling out arenas at home and in the other 11 cities around the league.
Thursday's game was no different, as fans showed up to see Clark finish the season in a major way. 20,711 fans packed the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. for the Fever's game against the Washington Mystics.
That's a Mystics franchise record and the record for the highest attendance in WNBA history.
The Washington Mystics moved tonight's game against Caitlin Clark to the nearby NBA arena and ended up setting a new all-time WNBA attendance record.
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) September 20, 2024
It's impossible to overstate what Caitlin Clark has done for the WNBA.
Simply incredible.pic.twitter.com/8xq0RrwewV
The Mystics moved the game from their usual home arena, which seats around 4,200 fans. The gamble paid off, as the clear appetite for elite women's basketball was seen on Thursday night.
The Mystics would earn a close 92-91 win to end the season, but an Atlanta Dream victory kept them from qualifying for the WNBA playoffs as the No. 8 seed.
Washington was able to bounce back from an 0-12 start to contend for a playoff spot on the final day of the season, a good omen for their future.
As for the Fever, they're locked in as the No. 6 seed in the playoffs and will face the No. 3 seed Connecticut Sun in the first round.
The series begins with Game 1 in Connecticut on Sunday, and will be followed by Game 2 at the same venue on Wednesday night. If necessary, the two teams will face off in a decisive Game 3 on Friday to determine the winner of the series.
The other first-round series will see the top-seeded New York Liberty face the Atlanta Dream, the Minnesota Lynx against the Phoenix Mercury and the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces versus the Seattle Storm.
Clark has been able to take the WNBA to new heights this season, but can she do the same for her team in the playoffs? We'll find out this weekend when the Fever's first-round series begins.
Related: Fans Have 1 Major Complaint With Schedule For Caitlin Clark's Playoff Debut
