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Caitlin Clark’s much anticipated WNBA debut is set for Tuesday night in Connecticut.
The No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft is coming off a record-setting college career at Iowa.
“This is what you’ve worked for and dreamed of. Now you get to put your jersey on for the first real time and go out there and play,” Clark said. “We get to play on the biggest stage, there’s gonna be a lot of people there, it’s gonna be loud. But you only play your first WNBA game once. I think I just want to enjoy it. It’s gonna be competitive. They’re really good, so you’ve got to prep the right way, too. More than anything, we’re ready for the challenge.”
Even before playing a WNBA game, Clark has left her mark in the pros. The league’s draft had record viewership, and her No. 22 jerseys have been flying off the shelves.
Three WNBA teams have already moved their games to bigger arenas to keep up with the demand for tickets to watch her play. Her debut in Connecticut is sold out — the first sellout for the Sun in a season opener since they played their inaugural game at Mohegan Sun Arena in 2003 after moving from Orlando.
This will be the second sold out crowd Clark will play in front of in her extremely young WNBA career. Her preseason game in Dallas was sold out, too. Over 13,000 fans also turned up for her only home preseason game.
WATCH: Toronto is getting a WNBA team. What it means for the city, players and fans:
Women’s professional basketball is coming to Toronto in May 2026. CBC Sports has learned that Kilmer Sports Inc., headed by Toronto billionaire Larry Tanenbaum, has been granted an expansion franchise with the Women’s National Basketball Association.
Clark’s home debut will be Thursday, when the Fever host the New York Liberty.
Here are a few things to look for in the season ahead:
Charter Flights
Teams will travel on charters instead of commercial flights this season, the league announced last week. The WNBA is still working on implementing the program and it may take a few weeks for every team to be flying charters. Previously, WNBA teams could only charter during the postseason and for regular-season games on back-to-back days requiring air travel.
Only two of the four teams that traveled for the opening night games used charter planes. The Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx took charters, while New York bused to Washington and Phoenix had a short commercial flight to Las Vegas.
The league plans to fund charter flights at a cost of about $50 million over the next two years in a move that addresses years of player safety concerns. Travel has been a huge topic of discussion for years.
WATCH: Canadian Aaliyah Edwards heads to the WNBA:
CBC Ottawa’s Robyn Miller speaks with Kingston basketball player Aaliyah Edwards about her recent draft to Washington Mystics.
Changing Squads
Once again, there was a lot of movement in free agency with All-Stars Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith joining the Seattle Storm, while Natasha Cloud and Kahleah Copper moved to the Phoenix Mercury. Both sets of players hope to get their new teams back in contention for a championship.
Olympic Break
The league will take nearly a monthlong break for the Paris Olympic Games from July 18-Aug. 14. Dozens of current and former WNBA players will be competing.
The WNBA will have its All-Star Game in Phoenix right before the Olympics start. The midseason showcase will most likely pit the U.S. national team against a group of All-Stars. The All-Stars won the contest in 2021 — the last time the format was implemented.
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