Packed Fieldhouse cheers as Fever select Clark with No. 1 overall pick

Apr. 15—INDIANAPOLIS — Lin Dunn can finally speak the name that's been on the tip of her tongue since Feb. 29.

That's the day Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark officially declared for the WNBA Draft, and it's a moment the Indiana Fever general manager won't soon forget.

"Well, we won the lottery. That was huge," Dunn said. "And then we wondered if she would declare, and the night she declared, somebody texted me and I about fell off of my couch, to tell you the truth.

"I didn't know if she would come. I thought it was 50/50, but I think she's always wanted to go to college four years and then be a pro."

Clark's pro career officially began Monday night when the Fever selected her with the No. 1 overall pick.

A huge crowd gathered at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to watch the draft on the giant videoboard and cheer Indianapolis' newest superstar.

When the pick was announced three of Clark's new teammates — guards Erica Wheeler, Lexie Hull and Maya Caldwell — leapt to their feet to celebrate and donned brand-new Fever jerseys adorned with Clark's name and No. 22.

All the while, an adoring throng roared its approval.

Though Clark was at the draft in Brooklyn, New York, she was well aware of the crowd in the Circle City.

"I'm very lucky to be going there to an organization that really loves women's basketball," Clark said during a video conference call. "You see it today. I think they had 17,000 tickets claimed to just watch the draft. I think that shows the excitement in Indianapolis. It's a great basketball city."

Dunn echoes that sentiment.

She marveled at the crowd inside the arena, many wearing Iowa No. 22 jerseys and some already with custom-made Fever gear bearing Clark's name and number.

One fan in the front row carried a replica banner commemorating Indiana's 2012 WNBA championship season.

That team was led by Tamika Catchings, who played all 15 of her WNBA seasons with the Fever and is the franchise's biggest star.

"I vividly remember my freshman year during the (NCAA Tournament COVID) bubble, we played Kentucky in the round of 32 and Tamika was calling the game, and I was like tweaking out," Clark said. "I couldn't believe she was calling one of my games.

"(She's) somebody I idolized, somebody that I loved and somebody that is not only a great basketball player and everything that she did, but she's a tremendous person."

Dunn believes Clark can have a similar impact in Indiana.

The Fever have not made the playoffs since Catchings' final season in 2016, but a roster filled with young talent will be tasked with changing that this summer.

"She's already had an impact, and we hadn't even drafted her," Dunn said. "So let's see what's going to happen now that we drafted her. She's coming to Indianapolis. She's going to be an integral part of the Indiana Fever, and I can't wait to see (forward Aliyah) Boston and (guard Kelsey) Mitchell and Clark — wow — and (forward NaLyssa) Smith. All of them."

Clark is most looking forward to playing alongside Boston, the No. 1 overall pick in last year's WNBA Draft who averaged 14.5 points and 8.4 rebounds as the league's top rookie in 2023.

The pair previously played together on Team USA and are somewhat familiar with one another's game.

"In my eyes, (she's) one of the best players in the league," Clark said. "... (A)s a point guard, my biggest job is I'm just feeding Aliyah the ball every single day. That's what I'm going to do. I'm going to be in there and be like, 'Go make a lay up.' She's going to make my life easy."

Dunn said it took about 20 seconds to turn in the card with Clark's name on it for the No. 1 pick.

It's a franchise-altering decision and was the worst-kept secret in sports for weeks.

The Fever have often hinted at this direction — including a tweet Sunday noting it was 22 hours before the team went on the clock — but the franchise was careful not to actually mention Clark's name.

Until Monday — when the party began in earnest.

"I've been biting my tongue, following the rules, but for some time now we've had her penciled in as our No. 1 pick," Dunn said. "But we didn't want to let the cat out of the box or whatever — the mouse out of the trap. But we didn't want to let anybody know and wanted to build up some excitement.

"And now it's official. Caitlin Clark is coming to Indianapolis, gonna have a huge impact not only on our city but our franchise, too."

Clark is accustomed to great expectations.

Every Iowa home game was sold out this season, and the Hawkeyes rarely played in front of an empty seat anywhere across the nation.

The final three games of her college career were the most watched women's basketball television broadcasts of all time, and she was expected to steal the show every time she stepped on the court.

As she transitions to the pro game — just eight days after playing in the NCAA Tournament final against South Carolina — Clark notes her approach will not change.

"This is the most competitive league in the entire world, less than 144 (roster) spots," Clark said. "So you'd better bring it every single night, and I think that's exactly what I'm going to do. But I think that's exactly how I lived my college career, too, is every single game, no matter what the opponent was, I prepped the exact same way.

"I prepared the same way. I brought the same fire. I brought the same energy. I think that's the biggest thing going into my WNBA career."