Caitlin Clark’s gesture to young WNBA fan sums up Indiana Fever rookie
One lucky Indiana Fever fan was gifted a pair of game-worn Caitlin Clark shoes following Sunday’s win over the Minnesota Lynx. The Fever won a second consecutive game after securing an 81-74 win over the Lynx, with phenom Clark scoring 17 points while also registering three rebounds and six assists.
As Clark returned to the locker room in Minnesota, the 22-year-old handed a young fan her shoes in a classy gesture, bringing a big, bright smile to the child’s face. Sunday’s performance continued a promising stretch for Clark in her debut WNBA season, with the 3-point specialist set to be crowned an All-Star alongside her college basketball rival, Angel Reese, this weekend.
The guard is averaging a 16.8 points per game. She also averages 5.8 rebounds and 7.8 assists per outing. Since the Iowa and college basketball legend’s No. 1 overall selection by Indiana earlier this year in the WNBA Draft, alongside a star-studded class of rookies that also includes Angel Reese and Cameron Brink, the league has enjoyed a surge in popularity.
In a huge boost to the WNBA, according to The Athletic, the league’s next TV rights package is worth about $2.2 billion over 11 years. The new deal is worth approximately $200 million annually, as negotiated by the NBA, in a huge jump from the previous mark of $50 million annually.
The financial investment will likely see WNBA stars be able to command higher salaries after the next CBA, as well as see entering college superstars earn more than $76,535 in their first year. Reese’s impact on the Chicago Sky and her 15 consecutive double-doubles also contributed to the elevating valuation of WNBA broadcast rights.
Clark and Reese will be on Team WNBA against Team USA in the All-Star game on Sunday, the first time they’ve ever teamed up at any level.
Caitlin Clark scored 17 points in the win over Minnesota and will play in the WNBA All-Star game this weekend ( Image: Getty)
“I know people will be really excited about it, but I hope it doesn’t take away from everyone else,” Clark said. “This is a huge accomplishment for everybody on Team USA and everyone on Team WNBA.
“They all deserve the same praise. I don’t want it to take away from any of that and be the focal point of All-Star weekend because that’s not fair to them.”
Clark added on being the leading All-Star vote recipient with 700,735: “Obviously, this is something that’s really hard to accomplish, so the best we can celebrate all of them will be great and just gonna obviously soak in the experience ’cause, like, you never know if you’re ever gonna be able to get back there and it’ll be fun for all of us.”
