It's been a summer of firsts for Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark. New team, cross-country league, new cities, and fresh arenas - she's been navigating it all like a seasoned pro. But when she hit the Target Center in Minneapolis on Sunday morning, it was a whole different story. This place wasn't new to her at all.
Back in her college days as an Iowa Hawkeye, Clark turned the Target Center into what fans affectionately called "Carver North." And on this Sunday, it transformed into "Gainbridge West" for the Fever. The sold-out crowd of 18,978 fans made it feel just like a home game.
"There were a lot of Fever fans," Clark said after the Fever's hard-fought 81-74 win over the Lynx. "They were cheering, going crazy. A lot of people probably supported me when I was here playing with Iowa, but it's a great venue, the Target Center is awesome. I mean, I just remember when I was here in college, and people were lined up overnight to try to get in the door. They just love women's basketball. The city supports women's basketball, obviously the history here and what the Lynx have been able to do. But yeah, I mean, I guess there's a little magic in here. Who knows? Knock on wood, because we do come back."
The magic seemed to spread to her teammates as well. While Clark didn't have the most efficient night from the field, going 5-of-17 (29.4%) with five free throws for 17 points, she was crucial in the final moments to seal the win. Fever center Aliyah Boston had a double-double by halftime, and her new career-high of 16 rebounds helped put Kelsey Mitchell (21 points, 8-of-18 shooting) on the line at the end of the game, too. Every time the Fever (11-14) inched closer to victory, the cheers from the away crowd grew louder.
"It's huge," Fever coach Christie Sides said. "I mean, to be on the road in Minnesota, it's just a different feeling. We hit a bucket late, and I looked around because, you know, the crowd just went crazy, and that's just, we're not used to that on the road."
Clark, a die-hard WNBA fan from a young age, grew up going to Lynx games. The Lynx were the closest WNBA team to her hometown of Des Moines, Iowa, just a 3 1/2 hour drive up I-35. She and her dad, Brent, first made the trip to a Lynx game when she was around fifth grade. A ticket office representative made that trip unforgettable.
When Brent called the ticket office for a pair of seats to the game, the representative offered to let them into the arena before general fans for the team's early shootaround. Clark got to meet some of the Lynx's best players during that experience, which left a lasting impression on her.
"I remember I got to sit courtside and watch all of (early warmups) so whoever that guy was, you're a hero, you're heaven-sent in my life," Clark said, laughing, pregame. "I don't know who you are, I don't know if you still work for the Lynx and the (Timberwolves), but I remember Lindsay Whalen came over, Seimone Augustus came over, I remember meeting them very vividly. It was obviously a very special memory in my entire basketball career."
Fast forward to her college years, and Clark was back in Minneapolis each year to play Minnesota in Williams Arena. It wasn't quite the Target Center, but it was close enough. When the Big Ten moved the conference tournament to the Target Center, Clark finally got her chance to play in the arena she grew up watching her favorite players.
Clark and Iowa went 6-0 in the Target Center over a two-year span, capturing the Big Ten championship each of those two years. Fans from Iowa flocked to Minneapolis to watch Clark and the Hawkeyes play in the postseason. Each session was filled with Hawkeyes fans loudly cheering for their team, essentially making it seem like they were back in Iowa City at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
"My last-ever Big Ten game I played here, and this was my first-ever WNBA game as a kid, so this arena is pretty cool, pretty special to myself," Clark said pregame. "It's just exciting and fun to come back, and I know a lot of Iowa fans, this is a fun place for them to come."
Now, as a professional player, Clark will visit the Target Center once or twice a year. And the fans are ready. Erin Roberts, an avid Clark fan from Iowa, told IndyStar in March that she bought Lynx season tickets just to make sure she could be at Clark's two games there this summer.
Roberts wasn't the only Iowa fan to make the trek; it seemed like the majority of the fans were there for Iowa, the Indiana Fever, or Caitlin Clark. The cheers were deafening when Clark pulled down a rebound and hit two free throws to seal the win for Indiana, marking the Fever's eighth victory in their past 12 games.
For Caitlin Clark, the journey has been filled with nostalgic moments and new triumphs. From those early days in fifth grade, getting a taste of the professional league, to now being a star player leading her team to victory, the Target Center holds a special place in her heart. And with the support of fans both old and new, it looks like she'll continue to create magic every time she steps onto that court.
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