Of course it went in. What else did you expect? 405 days since her last shot inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena, and the rust came right off. A mere 32 seconds into the game, and Caitlin Clark already drained a three-pointer. She was back. She was home.
Bringin’ In Brazil:
It’s not uncommon for a WNBA team to host a national team in the preseason. In fact it happens quite a bit. Today’s game pit the Indiana Fever against the Brazilian Women’s National Team. Highly anticipated, but not a close match. In the 108-44 beatdown, the Fever slaughtered Brazil. But this game wasn’t played in Indianapolis, where the Fever normally reside. It was played in Iowa, the same state where Caitlin grew up, and in the same arena she knows so well. When Fever president Kelly Krauskopf called her with the idea months ago, she couldn’t wait to come back.
“I did not expect it to happen this year,” Clark said during the pre-game press conference, “I was so excited, and I knew Iowa and Fever fans would be thrilled.”
Both fanbases certainly were. The WNBA rookie of the year in 2024 had 16 points, adding six rebounds and five assists to her scoresheet for the day. In typical Clark fashion, she wasn’t satisfied.
“I did alright,” Clark said in an interview with ESPN following the game. “We’ll clean up some stuff.”
If the shoes fit:
Caitlin packed three pairs of shoes for this trip. She made sure all of them had a little yellow. But the ones she slipped on this morning felt familiar.
“They’re kind of like my magic shoes,” she said, smiling. “I’ve worn these for literally every big game of my career. There was no other option.”
In November of 2020, Nike released a Bruce Lee collaboration with the Kobe 5 Protros. Not only are they black and yellow, but the shoes also feature a small hint of Fever red. When they first dropped, sneakerheads snagged them for just under 200 dollars. Now? They resell for an average price of 582 big ones, not far off from the cost of admission for today’s game.
“They were pretty hard to come by,” she said, laughing.
Both the shoes, and the tickets.
Woodn’t have it any other way:
A small piece of Carver’s wooden court will always belong to Caitlin. Just beside the infamous Mediacom logo, a black “22” marks the spot on the court, about 35 feet from the hoop. Beneath it, one name: Clark. It commemorates her record-breaking shot on Feb. 15, 2024, the night she became college basketball’s all-time leading scorer. That historic three-pointer against Michigan was one of many, but unforgettable.
Coming into this game, fans couldn’t help but think about it. And with 25 seconds left in the third quarter, it happened again–kind of. Catching an inbound from Bree Hall, Clark pushed up across the floor. In a near carbon copy of her iconic moment, she pulled up. Only this time, it was a single step farther out.
“36 feet…that’s far,” Clark said, smiling as laughter filled the media room. “I knew I was coming out, so I figured, why not?”
It wasn’t scripted. It rarely is. Knowing she’d be subbed out, Clark did what she always does. She let it fly.
As her coach Stephanie White put it, “Nobody tells Steph Curry not to take good shots.”
For one more look back:
Hats, jerseys, and shoes flail over the railing of Carver’s tunnel. Miniature hands dangle Sharpies, posters, and dreams—hoping to meet the sweaty fingers of Caitlin Clark. Fans press against the barrier, shrieking her name.
One parent holds a sign that reads, “Adults can have role models too.”
Even Brazil’s National Team, after a 64-point loss, waited their turn. When Clark asked if this was the biggest crowd they’d ever played in front of, a resounding “yes” echoed at center court. They posed for photos with her one by one, as if she were a golden monument. Above them, high in the rafters, hung the banner bearing the number she made iconic. No. 22. Still stitched in black and gold, still watching over the court she once ruled—and the one she returned to, if only for a day.
“I don’t know if it’ll be next year,” she said. “But I would love to come back.”
She’s not Iowa’s anymore. But she always will be.
