Caitlin Clark and Indiana Fever deliver statement in opening victory against Chicago Sky

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INDIANAPOLIS — Caitlin Clark picked out her sneakers specifically for Saturday’s season-opener against the Chicago Sky: a custom pair of Nike Kobe 5s. She called them her “Rookie of the Year” shoes as they drew design inspiration from a photo of Clark accepting that honor last year. The Nike logo, laces and undersole were a vibrant red, a nod to the Fever’s jerseys. The rest of the shoe was shiny silver, referencing the color of the trophy she was awarded.

Clark outshone her shoes — and everyone else on the court — in the Indiana Fever’s opener. Like other greats, she often makes what is difficult look relatively easy. She finished Indiana’s 93-58 victory with her third-career triple-double. When she walked off the floor just seconds after hauling in her 10th rebound with 2:22 to play, after already notching 20 points and 10 assists, she raised her left hand and urged the sellout crowd of 17,274 fans to continue cheering. Clark got her wish. Like a great conductor, another wave of pro-Fever chants broke out.

If Saturday was any indication, a lot more joy is set to wash over Fever fans, who have waited a decade for the franchise to finish with a winning record. Aliyah Boston, Indiana’s No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft, recorded a 19-point, 13-rebound double-double. It took Boston nine games for her to accomplish that feat last year. Guard Kelsey Mitchell and forward Natasha Howard added 15 points apiece. “We just have so many weapons, and that’s what’s so fun,” Clark said.

a dominant triple-double performance today against Chicago.#NowYouKnow Caitlin Clark 😈 pic.twitter.com/7a4CyaY2Wu

— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) May 17, 2025

An afternoon of pleasure started early for many Fever fans and lasted throughout the game. A lengthy line formed outside the team store at 9:30 a.m., more than five hours until tipoff. Closer to tipoff, fans played on Fever-themed inflatables located outside Gainbridge Fieldhouse, then rushed into the arena to find their seats draped with “Now You Know” towels.

Clark admitted to being a little anxious heading into Saturday’s opener. She was eager to compete after waiting eight months this offseason before playing games of consequence. But the offseason, she said, went by fast. “I’m ready to go play right now. Forget warmups,” Clark said 90 minutes before tipoff.

She got loose anyway, charming fans who showed up early to watch one of the WNBA’s premier players shoot around. Before retreating to Indiana’s locker room, Clark signed T-shirts, hats, jerseys and even an anthology about her historic rookie season for the dozens of supporters who made their way to the first row of the lower bowl.

Clark drew a foul on Indiana’s first offensive possession, then hit a vintage, 28-foot 3-point on the left wing 91 seconds later. She finished the win with four 3s. Every pull-up triple built anticipation for her next attempt.

But Saturday was not just about Clark’s shooting, or her playmaking or her five blocks — which tied her career-high; it was also about how the Fever’s new weapons clicked in their first game of consequence.

Indiana finished last season second to last in league defensive rating, but the Fever held Chicago to 29.1 percent shooting from the field and 22.2 percent shooting from 3 in the opener. The Fever were disruptive, forcing 17 turnovers. Boston said Indiana made Chicago “feel us.” The third-year center, who aims to make her third consecutive All-Star team, was impressed by Indiana’s communication.

“They didn’t get a lot of clean catch-and-looks,” Fever coach Stephanie White said. “We played through our deficiencies, we played through our lapses in coverage. We played through mismatches, and we played with multiple levels of effort and that’s what it takes.”

Defense and rebounding will be vital for the Fever’s progress. Though Chicago had more offensive rebounds (13) than Indiana (nine), the Fever had more second-chance points (16, compared to the Sky’s nine).

What’s most impressive for the Fever is how quickly they’ve appeared to jell. With only five returning players, even Clark said Indiana needed competition to learn more about areas of improvement. That is true, of course, but added three players with WNBA championships (DeWanna Bonner, Sydney Colson and Howard), plus two others with finals experience, Indiana looked like it had spent more than a month together. They deployed three different starting lineups in the preseason, but no one would have guessed that had Saturday been someone’s first time watching the 2025 Fever.

“We want to lean on everybody who’s been there,” assistant coach Briann January said. “Those are the people that know.”

The smooth opener doesn’t mean the Fever don’t have room for improvement. Indiana missed four first-quarter layups and had just three 3-pointers from players other than Clark. Its ball-screen defense can still improve, and Clark threw multiple stretch passes that weren’t caught.

“When you play with a player like Caitlin, you got to be ready on both ends,” White said. She said she wants to set a rotation by the All-Star break in July.

Another moment that stood out to White as an example of Indiana’s connectivity. Thirty seconds after Clark was called for a flagrant foul on Chicago’s Angel Reese midway through the third quarter, Indiana went on a 9-0 run to close out the period. Indiana’s mental toughness, White said, was evident. “I felt like that was a moment where we came together and we used that moment to propel us,” she said.

The Fever recognize that Saturday is just a start, but they delivered a message.

“There’s just so many options for us to go to,” Clark said. “I think just continuing to learn how to put our teammates in positions to be successful is what’s really gonna make us a great team.”

(Photo of Caitlin Clark: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)

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