How to watch Stars, Mavericks, Rangers and Caitlin Clark with all in action Friday night
Caitlin Clark makes WNBA debut in Arlington on Friday, and Wings are embracing the moment
Indiana
Reality is coming? Fever star Caitlin Clark delivers in WNBA debut against Dallas Wings
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
Find more Wings coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
RIPLEY COUNTY, Ind. (WSBT) — A statewide Silver Alert has been issued for two young children in Indiana.
Police in Ripley County, southeast of Indianapolis, are looing for the children who may be siblings.
The first child is 3-year-old Aaliyah Buckingham.
She was last seen wearing a pink cat shirt and tie-dye shorts.
The younger child is 1-year-old Shane Buckingham, last seen in a red shirt and diaper.
Police think both are with 45-year-old Timothy Buckingham, who was last seen driving a brown GMC truck.
Timothy is described as a 6′ 3″ white man weighing 225 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.
Photo of Timothy Buckingham provided by Indiana State Police
Police have not confirmed the relationship of the three, or why the children are believed to be in danger.
Anyone who sees the three are asked to contact the nearest police department.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A firefighter for the Indianapolis Fire Department was sent to the hospital Wednesday after battling a fire at a vacant house.
According to a Facebook post made by IFD, the fire happened around 10:15 a.m. at a house on Bluff Rd. IFD says that there were several complications, including limited access to fire hydrants and “interior hoarder conditions” that IFD says was due to squatters.
The injured firefighter received “slight injury,” the Facebook post said.
It took over an hour and a half to get the fire under control, according to IFD, and another hour to put out all the remaining hot spots in the building.
According to IFD, the cause of the fire is currently unknown. Their Fire Investigations Unit is working on figuring out what caused the fire.
Can Indiana football land 5-star receiver Monshun Sales? Recruiting analysis
The Hoosiers are a finalist for five-star Lawrence North receiver Monshun Sales. IndyStar insiders Kyle Neddenriep and Zach Osterman discuss IU’s chances.
The high school football season is a little more than five weeks away. We take a look today at 10 potential sleeper teams for the 2026 season from Central Indiana. To keep things consistent, we considered only teams that finished last season with a .500 record or below.
I had a few hits in this category last year, including Avon (3-7 to 6-5), Carmel (3-7 to 9-2) and Indian Creek (5-6 to 8-4). Here are teams poised for an uptick this season:
Brebeuf Jesuit
A drop off last year was not unexpected for the Braves, who lost a lot of talent from a team that finished 8-3 in 2024. Brebeuf started 0-6 on its way to a 3-8 season, which was its first losing record since going 4-6 in 2016.
There were some mitigating circumstances around last season’s record, extending beyond inexperience. The Braves lost starting quarterback Keegan Bouwkamp to an injury in the first game of the season, though he was able to return to pass for 1,004 yards and 15 touchdowns in just four games. His return as a senior will allow to senior Carter Cosgrove to return to receiver full time. They are part of a group of nine starters returning to an offense that did produce 26 points per game last season and will be anchored by UConn commit Krystian Oakley on the line.
Coach Matt Geske’s team also returns six starters on defense, including junior Joshua Rogers (42 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, five sacks). There are some new games on the schedule, including Mt. Vernon, Scecina, Columbus North and Cardinal Ritter.
North Central
It might seem like a small thing but North Central finishing 2-8 last season did represent a significant jump after three consecutive 0-10 seasons. In fact, a two-win season is the best for the Panthers since going 6-4 in 2020.
Now, can North Central take another step forward in Collin Coffer’s second season as coach? The Panthers ended a 32-game losing streak in the season opener last year with a 35-13 victory over Brebeuf, then defeated Harrison (West Lafayette) 41-28 in Week 5. If North Central is going to take the next step, it will need to make headway against Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference opponents (North Central’s most-recent MIC win was in 2021).
There is plenty of hope coming into the season with an offense led by junior quarterback Chase Grove (1,901 passing yards, 19 TDs) and an experienced group of receivers. Most of the defense also returns, including seniors Kolton Ablitar-Conner and Jameson Hittle.
Zionsville
The Eagles were 3-7 last year, but four of those losses came by 10 points or less. Zionsville has been stuck on either three or four wins every year since going 9-6 and reaching the Class 5A state finals in 2021.
There are reasons to believe coach Scott Turnquist’s team can make a move in 2026. The offensive line brings back Ball State commit Eli Wildoner and Ben Maxey and has a rising star in junior tight end Theo Schott, who caught 26 passes for 305 yards and three TDs last season. Junior quarterback Finn Giles transferred from Carmel and will battle for the starting spot with junior Mac Wright.
The defense has talent, too, led by senior Ball State preferred walk-on Roman Barth on the line, along with junior Peter Monohan. The secondary returns one of the team’s top tacklers in junior Gabe Vinatieri. Zionsville starts with Pike and Lawrence Central before getting into Hoosier Crossroads Conference play.
Martinsville
The Artesians did drop off from a 12-2 regional championship season in 2024 but still managed to win a sectional title and finish 6-7 last year with a relatively inexperienced team.
Coach Brian Dugger’s group will still be a little bit on the young side in some areas, but there is quite a bit coming back. Leading the way on offense will be senior quarterback Chase Davis (2,510 passing yards, 24 TDs), senior receiver Landon Cazee (95 catches, 1,280 yards, 13 TDs) and senior lineman Kyson Bunton.
The defense loses some key pieces to graduation, though senior linebackers Joel Sumner (67 tackles, five TFLs) and Nate LaFary (47 tackles in eight games) are among those returning. The path to a sectional title became a lot more difficult with Roncalli now in the mix. The Artesians open the season with Bedford North Lawrence and Bloomington South before getting into Mid-State Conference play with new league member Bloomington North in Week 3.
Hamilton Heights
Caleb Small comes over to coach his alma mater after coaching at Northwestern two years ago and Kokomo last season. The Huskies were 4-6 last year with a first-round sectional exit to Guerin Catholic, but there is a lot of experience returning on both sides of the ball.
The Huskies should be strong at the skill positions with senior running back A.J. Flanagan (813 rushing yards, seven TDs; 20 catches, 181 yards) returning, along with senior quarterback Drew Woodruff (1,742 passing yards, 13 TDs).
The defense should be strong in front seven with junior linebackers Grayden Dahlstrom and Landon Hickman among the returnees. The Huskies are coming off back-to-back 4-win seasons after going 11-1 in 2023 and making a run to the sectional title game. Small has a lot of experience on his staff, including eight coaches who have coached at the Class 6A level.
The sectional no longer includes Guerin Catholic or Bishop Chatard – the two programs that have knocked the Huskies out the past six seasons.
Mt. Vernon
This might seem like a lot to ask after Mt. Vernon finished 0-10 last season. Coach Mike Kirschner returns after getting the Marauders’ program a jolt from 2018 to 2020, helping to set the stage for a run to the Class 4A state title in 2021.
Can Kirschner help to make it happen again? Mt. Vernon allowed 46.2 points per game last season, so a major overhaul will be needed on that side of the ball. There is some experienced there, including senior James Battee on the line and Zach Spalding and B.J. Johnson at linebacker.
The offense returns four starters on the line, along with Arizona State baseball recruit Mason Meyer (1,517 passing yards, 11 TDs; 420 rushing yards, six TDs) at quarterback and Johnson at receiver. Instead of Noblesville and Franklin, Mt. Vernon will open with Kokomo and Brebeuf Jesuit before getting into Hoosier Heritage Conference play.
Monrovia
The Bulldogs struggled to a 4-7 record last year after back-to-back 9-3 seasons. Coach Andy Olson’s team could be in line for a bounce back season with three top rushers returning in junior Ryder Bain (978 yards, 12 TDs), senior Coewen Stinson (957 yards, 10 TDs) and junior Gavin Wolsiffer (746 yards, six TDs). Monrovia averaged 261 rushing yards per game last season.
The defense struggled last season, especially late. The Bulldogs lost 57-56 to Heritage Christian in the second round of the sectional. The good news is that Monrovia returns plenty of experience on that side of the ball, including senior Gauge Tolan (123 tackles).
Monrovia has not had back-to-back losing seasons since 2019 and 2020.
Cardinal Ritter
Ritter has been competitive the past three seasons under coach Levar Johnson but have not been able to break through with a winning season since 2020. The Raiders were 3-7 last year with wins over Tech, Greenwood Christian and Covenant Christian.
Can Ritter get over the top with a winning season in 2026? Junior linebacker Bam McCullough (99 tackles, eight TFLs, 3 ½ sacks) is a Division I talent and will be joined at the linebacker spot by junior Ve’Sean Miles (81 tackles, 6 ½ TFLs). Ritter has three other returning starters on defense.
The offense has three returning starters on the offensive line (eight overall) and several talented skill position players, including junior running back Tavien Fox (659 rushing yards, nine TDs), who is moving back from quarterback. Senior Renaldo Thomas (534 rushing yards, three TDs) also has experience. Junior Jordyn Graham, a transfer from Crispus Attucks, is the likely starter at quarterback.
Greenwood
It is a new era for the Woodmen in the Hoosier Legends Conference, where 4A Greenwood will be one of the larger schools in the eight-team league. The Woodmen were 2-8 last year, a drop after going 6-6 two years ago and 4-8 last season.
Greenwood will have experience at the skill positions on offense, led by Lindenwood commit Benjamin Hommell at wide receiver (26 catches, 625 yards, eight TDs) and junior running back Leland Morton (596 rushing yards, three TDs). There is some experience up front on defense with Aidyn Wiley on the line and linebackers James Hurley, Damyan Hernandez and Gage Hall.
Areas of concern for Greenwood will be a young offensive line and secondary.
Scecina
The Crusaders were on this list last year and did make a two-win jump, improving from 3-7 to 5-5. Scecina lost in the first round of the sectional, 47-29, to Monrovia in Dan Harris’ second season as coach.
Scecina returns plenty talent and experience at the skill positions, including senior quarterback Bryce McDonald (1,990 passing yards, 21 TDs), senior receiver Tristan Brown (65 catches, 708 yards, six TDs) and senior running back Gavin Connel (578 yards, four TDs). The Crusaders have good size up front but not a lot of experience.
The defense will include some of the same names from the offense, along with Mannie Stevens and C.J. Heard on the line and Kaiden Dugan at inside linebacker.
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649. Get IndyStar’s high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter. And be sure to subscribe to our new IndyStarTV: Preps YouTube channel.
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