Caitlin Clark wasn’t just playing a road game in Dallas. She had what felt like a home crowd following her into the building. That was the first thing Tracy McGrady noticed when he watched the Indiana Fever take on the Dallas Wings at American Airlines Center. 

Speaking on his Cousins with Vince Carter & Tracy McGrady podcast, the former NBA star explained that he had been to WNBA games before, but even he was surprised by the energy surrounding Clark.

“Caitlin got Dallas on fire right now; it’s Caitlin Clark jerseys everywhere around here!” McGrady said on the podcast.

Now he wasn’t exaggerating because more than 20,000 people packed American Airlines Center for the matchup, with the announced attendance reaching 20,297.

The Wings eventually won 91-85, but the result almost felt secondary to the atmosphere around the game.

On the Cousins with Vince Carter & Tracy McGrady podcast, McGrady explained just how strange it felt to see a visiting player generate that kind of support.

“When anybody on their team do something, bro, you almost felt like you was in Indiana,” McGrady said. “That’s how loud it is on the road when she comes to play.”

That’s the part that stands out as Clark wasn’t even playing in Indianapolis, yet McGrady felt like the Fever had brought a piece of Indiana with them. And Olivia Miles has seen the same thing from the other side.

Caitlin Clark fever has followed the Fever on the road

Olivia Miles, who plays for the Minnesota Lynx, brought up a similar experience when the Fever came to Minnesota. She remembered seeing around 500 Fever fans already hanging around well before the game, taking pictures and waiting for the action to start.

“There were about 500 Fever fans before like 90 minutes was on the clock,” Miles said on the same podcast. She even joked that they probably weren’t there to watch Minnesota.

“Probably not watching us, watching them more,” Miles added.

That same scene played out in Dallas. Hundreds of fans had gathered around the Fever tunnel 90 minutes before tip-off, waiting for Clark to come out for warmups. When she appeared, the crowd erupted, and fans went wild as she signed autographs.

The Dallas game was also another example of the size of the audience Clark can bring with her. The Wings normally play at a much smaller venue, but their matchup with Indiana was moved to the American Airlines Center. 

For McGrady, that is what makes this moment around the WNBA so exciting. He has watched the league before, but the energy feels different now.

“I’ve been to WNBA games before, but this is a new energy that I’m seeing around WNBA,” McGrady said. “And it’s fun to see.”

Clark’s influence is obviously a big part of that, and just by judging what McGrady and Miles are seeing, that excitement isn’t staying in Indiana. It’s following her wherever the Fever go.

Written by

Rudra Dubey