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Caitlin Clark is headed to the NBA, at least for a couple of nights. NBC announced Tuesday that Clark — the Indiana Fever star with an enormous following within the game — is joining the network’s pregame coverage for its debut of “Sunday Night Basketball” this weekend when the Los Angeles Lakers play the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. It’s set to be a two-night gig for Clark, who plans to return to NBC in another pregame role on March 29 when the Knicks visit the Oklahoma City Thunder. “There’s no more iconic figure in basketball in the women’s game right now, or the game in general,” Sam Flood, executive producer for NBC Sports, told The Associated Press. “So, we said, ‘let’s have a bigger conversation.’”
Caitlin Clark is back on the floor and healthy, playing basketball with Team USA last week. It was her first formal five-on-five basketball since mid-July, and I wrote about her health and recovery here. It's a significant story in sports in general that one of the biggest stars on the planet is playing again. For the Indiana Fever, who were on the doorstep of reaching the WNBA Finals despite not having Clark in the postseason, it's tremendous news. Her health next season will be a priority, and if she's available for the 2026 postseason the Fever should be a title contender. The other story from Clark's time with the red, white, and blue was exactly that – her return to the national stage. She was one of the 17 players invited to Durham, North Carolina to be a part of USA Basketball Women's National Team Training Camp.
Red Panda wasn't on the injured list for very long. The popular halftime performer is scheduled to make her NBA return on Tuesday night in Chicago when the Bulls host the Philadelphia 76ers. She broke her left wrist during a July 1 performance at the WNBA Commissioner's Cup final between the Indiana Fever and the Minnesota Lynx.
A new WNBA champion was crowned with the Las Vegas Aces solidifying their dynasty era, but not before commissioner Cathy Engelbert was publicly called out by one of the league’s preeminent stars, Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier. Less than a week later, Engelbert denied Collier’s characterization of their previously private conversation, specifically that Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark should be “grateful” for the opportunities the WNBA provides her. When Engelbert took the mic at the WNBA Finals to present the Aces with their third trophy in four years, her voice was drowned out by a stadium of nearly 20,000 booing. Now, owners from other leagues are weighing in on the state of negotiations between the WNBA and the players’ union. “If you think about sports, it works when the employees and stockholders are aligned,” Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky said during the Front Office Sports Asset Class summit Thursday. “The fans are our stockholders, and the players are in essence the employees. What you’re seeing now in the WNBA spilling into the public view is no bueno. It’s not a good idea.”
Becky Hammon doesn’t think the physicality in the Indiana Fever-Las Vegas Aces WNBA playoff semifinal series would fly in any other league. And that’s coming from a coach who has multiple years of experience as an assistant in the NBA, who has assistants on her staff with even more NBA experience.
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Alex Kennedy: Tyrese Haliburton celebrates as the Indiana Fever advance past the Atlanta Dream in the WNBA Playoffs:
Tyrese Haliburton celebrates as the Indiana Fever advance past the Atlanta Dream in the WNBA Playoffs: pic.twitter.com/2RdZlEO3Z0
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) September 19, 2025
WNBA viewership has continued to grow despite Caitlin Clark missing the majority of the season, but it’s still clear that she drives the most eyeballs to the sport. Clark admitted to WNBA legend Sue Bird that she feels a level of “responsibility” to play. Clark spoke to Bird on an episode of The Bird’s Eye View podcast released Friday. Bird asked the Indiana Fever star how she manages her patience, knowing that while viewership and attendance are up across the W, there is a noticeable dip when she is out. “I think that’s definitely been hard. I’m going to go to every road game no matter what, whether I’m playing or not. It’s hard because obviously I do feel this responsibility of being out there and playing,” Clark said.
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese both missed Sunday’s game between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky due to injury—and the game still drew viewership numbers the league would’ve only dreamed of less than two years ago. Sunday’s game between the Fever and Sky drew 1.5 million viewers on ABC, the fourth-most-watched game on the network this year. The game tipped off at 3 p.m. ET. The numbers are down from the first two regular-season meetings this year between the two Midwest rivals. The Fever and Sky faced off in their respective season openers on May 17 in Indiana, and the game drew 2.7 million viewers on ABC—the most-watched WNBA game, regular-season or playoffs, since Clark and Reese were drafted.
A 55-year-old Texas man who told police he was in "an imaginary relationship" with WNBA star Caitlin Clark was sentenced to 2½ years in prison Monday after pleading guilty to stalking and harassing the Indiana Fever guard. Michael Lewis, of Denton, Texas, reached a deal with Marion County prosecutors in which he pleaded guilty to one felony count of stalking and one misdemeanor count of harassment. He will get credit for time served at the Marion County Adult Detention Center since his arrest.
Lakers owner Jeanie Buss has extended an unexpected offer to Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, inviting her to join the roster of Women of Wrestling (WOW), the all-female wrestling promotion she co-owns. At a panel during San Diego Comic-Con this week, WOW co-founder David McLane—who launched the promotion with Buss—suggested that Cunningham’s physical style and recent on-court persona make her a natural fit for the ring. McLane called her “the Marty McSorley to Wayne Gretzky,” adding, “I would love to have Sophie in WOW.” Buss echoed the sentiment and took to twitter to make the offer official.
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"For me it's about getting my mental right," Haliburton said. "I try to figure out things to do." He said he has been to several Indiana Fever games, is improving his WWE video game skills and that he bought a turntable to learn a few DJ skills. "When I'm alone, I sit there and think about everything that's happened, and it's kind of like, 'That sucks,'" he said. "I'm going to fight like hell to get back. All I can do is attack that rehab the best I can."
Scott Agness: Caitlin Clark exited the Fever’s win at TD Garden in the final minute, clutching her right groin in pain. She had 14-8-7 and scored nine straight points late to secure the road win. Her status is now uncertain ahead of All-Star Weekend in Indy. fieldhousefiles.com/p/caitlin-clar… pic.x.com/HVNInWqgFG
Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever received the most votes for the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game and will be a team captain for the July 19 game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The league reported Sunday that Clark received almost 1.3 million votes, and will be a captain along with Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx.
The Fever’s roster of sponsors “ballooned from 65 last year, which already beat the league average, to 85 this year,” according to Dave Lindquist of the INDIANAPOLIS BUSINESS JOURNAL. Pacers Sports & Entertainment EVP/Strategy & New Business Ventures Joey Graziano added that the Fever’s leadership “looks for corporate partners that share a vision and a set of values with the team.” Coffee and cookie chain Please & Thank You founder Brooke Vaughn, whose company is a Fever sponsor, said that she believes there are “more opportunities for small businesses to be sponsors in women’s sports than in men’s sports.”