Caitlin Clark’s Homecoming Game Becomes Must-Watch TV for WNBA Fans

It was a preseason game. Just a warm-up. A tune-up. Something to get the legs moving and the rhythm back before the real season tips off.

But when Caitlin Clark is involved, nothing is “just” anything.

On Sunday night in Iowa City, 15,000 people crammed into Carver-Hawkeye Arena, with many paying hundreds of dollars just to be there — all for a WNBA preseason game between the Indiana Fever and Brazil’s national team. And the star of the night? The hometown legend, back on the floor where she became a national icon.

It was Clark’s first time playing in Carver-Hawkeye as a pro, and fans weren’t about to miss it. The moment didn’t just belong to Iowa or the Fever — it belonged to every person who had followed Clark’s journey from an exciting freshman to the face of women’s basketball.

And as the numbers now show, it wasn’t just an Iowa thing. The game averaged 1.3 million viewers on ESPN. For context, that’s more people than tuned in for a good chunk of last year’s regular season games — and this wasn’t even one that counted.

The Arena Felt Like a Championship Game — But It Was Just April

From the second the Fever hit the court, it was obvious this wasn’t going to feel like any ordinary preseason match. The fans were on their feet before the tipoff. People held signs with Clark’s name. Little kids wore her college jersey. A few even had her new Fever jersey already. You could feel the emotion — this was a homecoming.

Tickets on resale sites had shot up to an average of $440. For a preseason game. And yet nobody seemed to regret it. After all, how often do you get to watch history come back to life?

Caitlin Clark, who redefined what was possible for a college player — who broke records and expectations at the same time — was back in the same arena where it all started.

She put up 16 points, helped lead the Fever to a commanding 108-44 win, and in the process gave the crowd everything they came for. Deep threes. No-look passes. Pure energy. Even with a professional jersey on her back, her connection to Iowa felt as strong as ever.

A Preseason Game That Looked a Lot Like a Movement

ESPN revealed that the game drew an average of 1.3 million viewers, peaking at 1.6 million. That’s wild for April. That’s wild for any WNBA game, let alone one that didn’t impact the standings.

But again, this wasn’t really about standings. It was about a moment. One that people across the country didn’t want to miss.

Clark is no longer just a college sensation — she’s become a bridge. A bridge between NCAA stardom and professional legitimacy. A bridge between diehard fans and brand new ones. When she plays, people show up — in the seats, and on the screen.

She’s the kind of player that gets a 10-year-old girl in Michigan to ask her dad if they can stay up late on a school night to watch the Fever. The kind of player who gets former college rivals to post about her on Instagram. She’s not just playing in the WNBA — she’s lifting it.

From College Royalty to WNBA Franchise Player

Back in February, Clark returned to Iowa once already — that time, it was for a jersey retirement ceremony. Her iconic No. 22 now hangs in the rafters, a permanent part of Carver-Hawkeye history. But this time, she was back in game mode.

And it was different.

This wasn’t a celebration of what she did. This was a reminder of what she’s still doing.

She looked every bit the pro — composed, competitive, and locked in. It didn’t matter that the Fever were ahead by 50. She played every possession like it mattered. Because to her, it always does. And when she buried a trademark step-back three from the logo, the crowd erupted like it was the Final Four.

You can retire a jersey, but you can’t retire someone’s impact.

Source: Caitlin Clark’s return to Iowa with Fever averages 1.3 million viewers

The Fever Have a Star — and the WNBA Has a Moment

Let’s talk about what this means going forward. Clark joining the Fever isn’t just good for Indiana — it’s huge for the league.

This is a franchise that’s struggled in recent years, but now they have a player who can turn any gym into a sold-out event. Who can move the needle in TV ratings. Who can make a preseason game feel like a playoff game.

That’s not normal. That’s rare. That’s Caitlin Clark.

There’s a real sense that the 2025 WNBA season could be the most-watched in league history, and Clark is a big reason why. But it’s not just about numbers. It’s about belief. There’s a growing belief that women’s basketball can be a year-round cultural force — not just during March Madness.

Players like Clark are proving that the excitement doesn’t have to end when the college season does. It can keep going. It can grow. It can thrive.

For Iowa, a Goodbye That Still Feels Like See You Soon

Even though she’s moved on to the next chapter, Iowa still feels like home for Clark — and it always will. That’s what made Sunday so special. It wasn’t just a professional player stopping by her old college town. It was a daughter of Iowa coming back and putting on a show for her people.

When the buzzer sounded and the Fever walked off with a 64-point win, the score almost didn’t matter. The crowd got what they came for: a night of memories, magic, and the feeling that they were witnessing something bigger than basketball.

For those 15,000 fans in the building, and the 1.3 million at home, it was a reminder of why they fell in love with Caitlin Clark in the first place.

And for Clark, it was a reminder that no matter where her career takes her — the WNBA, Olympic gold, global stardom — there’s a place in Iowa where she’ll always be No. 22.

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