ARLINGTON — ”Reality is coming.” That was the warning all-time WNBA great Diana Taurasi issued Caitlin Clark when she finished her college career as the all-time leading scorer in men’s or women’s college basketball less than a month ago. The message was that Clark wouldn’t be facing 18-year-olds any longer.

”I’m here.” That was Clark’s announcement (she didn’t say it in words, just on the court) Friday night at College Park Center. In a preseason game against the Dallas Wings, in front of a packed house she was largely responsible for, Clark scored 21 points but missed a desperate three at the buzzer as the Dallas Wings won the exhibition game, 79-76.

Dallas‘ own Arike Ogunbowale, known for hitting big shots herself, drilled the winning 3-pointer with three seconds to play although she finished 1-for-7 from distance. Clark made 5 of her 13 three-point shots, scoring 16 points in the first half before running into foul trouble during the second in her pro debut.

As the first pick in the April 15 draft, Clark joined a team that was 24-84 the last three seasons. Suffice to say very few folks in Indiana had the Fever. But the basketball world loves watching Clark and she has a chance to rewrite everything, not just in her new midwestern home but for the women’s game across the board.

The Fever will have 36 of their 40 regular season games on national TV. This comes on the heels of Clark’s Iowa drawing 14.2 million viewers on ESPN for the national semifinal game with UConn and 19 million on network TV for the championship game with South Carolina.

If you’re the commissioner of anything besides the National Football League, you will kick your grandmother to the curb for those ratings. The women’s championship outdrew the men’s in April, not to mention the World Series or the NBA Finals overall. The WNBA is hoping to latch onto a piece of that through Clark, and her ticket-selling skills were on display in a sold-out College Park Center despite the fact sports fans could have watched the Mavs or Stars in playoff action.

On the Fever‘s second possession, Clark launched and hit a 3-pointer. By halftime she had 16 points, comprised almost entirely of four 3-pointers plus two free throws she made after being fouled from 3-point range. For those wondering, the 3-point line in the WNBA is the same distance as in college. Wouldn’t make much difference if it wasn’t as Clark has been known to launch from the logo and score.

But that’s not to say Taurasi was entirely wrong. Clark got her shot blocked by Natasha Howard, ran into foul trouble and committed five turnovers. It was the imperfect start one might expect when a great player joins a struggling team at a higher level. Dallas actually got 21 points from another rookie, left-handed Jaelyn Brown, who played for Cal in 2020 but has been overseas, most recently playing in Turkey.

On Friday morning, Clark said she did not know what to expect in terms of scoring, beyond the promise she would play hard.

“I think the shooting is always going to be part of my game, and it’s something this team needs,” Clark said after the team’s shootaround. “There’s going to be nights you shoot it great and nights that you don’t. That happens to Steph Curry, that happens to me, that happens to anybody.

“Whether I make 10 threes tonight or I don’t make any, there are other aspects of the game where I can help the team.”

Turned out to be five — right in the middle between 10 and 0.

Clark also had three rebounds, two assists and two steals, and that assist figure when Indiana plays a team that doesn’t have the massive size advantage the Wings enjoy against just about everyone.

Indiana already has had two road games moved from smaller WNBA venues to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (where the Stars played Friday) and to Capital One Arena in Washington (home of the Wizards and Caps). There are no plans announced to move either of Clark’s regular season games against the Wings out of Arlington, although the team is moving to Dallas in two years. The Wings will play in the old (but presumably refurbished) Memorial Auditorium downtown. I’m personally anxious to see how it looks for Wings games compared to Dallas Chaparral games I attended in the late ‘60s.

OK, that’s been a minute.

By the time the Wings truly become the Dallas Wings, the WNBA will have a new TV deal worth probably twice as much or more than the current $60 million per season. That’s attributable to several factors, but Clark is, without any doubt, No. 1.

”The buzz around the WNBA right now is super special,” Clark said. “The competition in this league is really really good. I’m excited that people are appreciating the W. Just a great atmosphere for women’s basketball, I think it’s a good kickoff to the WNBA season.”

Well, everyone loves the long ball. And no female has ever shot from distance — considerable distance quite often — like Clark. Her fifth 3-pointer of the game, one that gave Indiana a 67-65 lead in the fourth quarter, came from at least 28 feet.

It was the last one she would make in this particular game. Many, many more to come very soon, though.

Wings-Fever photos: Caitlin Clark, Arike Ogunbowale ball out in WNBA preseason opener

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Find more Wings coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.

Josh Hart probably won’t be very popular at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. 

The outspoken Knicks forward railed on Indiana as an NBA locale during a months-old podcast episode that resurfaced after the Knicks clinched a second-round series against the Pacers.  

“If I don’t have to play the Indiana Pacers, I’m not stepping foot in that State,” Hart said in February on his ‘Roommates Show’ with Jalen Brunson. “I don’t want to be in Indiana for any All-Star break, for anything. I am not an Indiana guy.”

Hart, who isn’t shy about ribbing, said he found two solid food options in the Midwest city, and neither was St. Elmo’s Steakhouse.

“I will say they do got a White Castle there. I love White Castle. It’s the only solid thing about Indiana,” Hart said. “And Long’s Bakery. Fire donuts. If not for those two things, psshh. Long’s Bakery? Donuts are top tier. Indiana? Bottom of the barrel.”  

Game 3 is at Indianapolis on May 10.

Games 1 (Monday) and 2 (Wednesday) are at MSG.

As the 2024 NBA Playoffs continue, the Indiana Pacers (6) and the New York Knicks (2) are set to reignite their rivalry in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The road to this anticipated rematch was paved with nail-biting Game 5 showdowns, but both teams emerged victorious. Tom Thibodeau’s defensive-minded Knicks face the daunting task of containing the Pacers’ high-octane offense, known for its relentless pace and sharpshooting prowess.

All eyes are on the battle of the point guards: Jalen Brunson of the Knicks and Tyrese Haliburton of the Pacers, former All-Star teammates. Brunson has risen to the occasion amidst the challenges posed by injuries to key teammates. Haliburton’s playmaking has been the driving force behind the Pacers’ offense, leading the league in assists.

For the Knicks, the return of OG Anunoby adds a new dimension to their lineup, as he gears up to face his former teammate Pascal Siakam. Meanwhile, Pacers’ veteran Myles Turner brings a wealth of playoff experience to the forefront, poised to make his mark after advancing past the first round for the first time in his career.

With a trip to the conference finals hanging in the balance, the outcome of this matchup could very well define the series.

Eastern Conference Semifinals:
Pacers vs. Knicks

How to Listen

Satellite:
Home team broadcast – channel 86
Away team broadcast – channel 212

Streaming:
Listen on the SiriusXM app and web player

Game Schedule

Game 1: Pacers vs. Knicks, Monday, May 6 at 7:30pm ET

Game 2: Pacers vs. Knicks, Wednesday, May 8 at 8pm ET

Game 3: Knicks vs. Pacers, Friday, May 10 at 7pm ET

Game 4: Knicks vs. Pacers, Sunday, May 12 at 3:30pm ET

Game 5: Pacers vs. Knicks, TBD*

Game 6: Knicks vs. Pacers, TBD*

Game 7: Pacers vs. Knicks, TBD*

*if necessary

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