Remember back in May, before all the T-shirts and jerseys were printed and widely available, when so many Fever fans forgot how to spell Indiana?
I-O-W-A, their jerseys said over that now-familiar No. 22. Those first Indiana Fever games of the Caitlin Clark era were a mashup of “I states.” Indianapolis, meet Iowa City. Des Moines, meet our Danville.
As the Fever prepare for their long-anticipated return to the WNBA playoffs, it’s clear that Clark has captured the attention of a sports community that extends well beyond her home state and adopted home here in Indy. The Caitlin Clark Effect has boosted women’s basketball’s global profile and inspired a generation of girls who are now a step closer to seeing their athletic exploits featured as prominently as those of their male peers.
Clark’s arrival in Indy has been a moment, and it’s changed how we do things at IndyStar.
Caitlin Clark is a rising tide for women’s sports, IndyStar is here to cover it
It’s safe to say that IndyStar sports reporter Chloe Peterson had no idea what she was in for when she joined our staff after graduating from the University of Iowa. Covering the Fever transformed from a part-time beat last season to a full-time beast after it became clear that Clark was Indy-bound.
Peterson has been embedded with the Fever all season, giving IndyStar readers unique insight into the team’s resurgence. Earlier this year, she launched our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter, which is a must-read for all Fever fans when it hits their inboxes each Friday.
Readership of Fever stories at IndyStar.com has increased more than tenfold since Clark’s arrival, with Peterson and reporter Dana Hunsinger Benbow leading unrivaled coverage of this unique moment in sports.
IndyStar photojournalist Grace Smith had an idea how transformational Clark’s presence could be before joining us in June. After all, she helped write the book on Clark’s final season with the Hawkeyes. Smith and fellow photojournalist Grace Hollars have taken leading roles in chronicling the Fever’s playoff surge for IndyStar.
It’s heartening to have this front-row seat to this moment in women’s sports, and I’m grateful that IndyStar has been able to feature the talents of Peterson, Benbow, Smith, Hollars and more in the traditionally male-dominated world of sports journalism.
IndyStar is invested in uplifting women’s voices in sports at all levels. We’re currently recruiting for a high school sports reporter to expand on the robust boys and girls sports reporting done by IndyStar preps reporters Kyle Neddenriep and Brian Haenchen. I’ll have more on that effort in the weeks to come.
We’ve also spent considerable time and effort to be your source for Caitlin Clark and Indian Fever news, which I hope you’ll support through your subscription to IndyStar. I also wanted to share a couple more ways to commemorate this special season and support your local IndyStar journalists.
After all, It’s officially fall today, meaning that Christmas is right around the corner.
Buy IndyStar’s upcoming Caitlin Clark book, ‘Fever Pitch’
Clark has been one of the most electrifying athletes in sports and you can explore her journey in “Fever Pitch: How Caitlin Clark’s Rookie Campaign Captivated the Basketball World.”
This 144-page hardcover collector’s book from the award-winning journalists at IndyStar takes you courtside to relive every pivotal moment of Clark’s historic rise to stardom in the WNBA.
The book, in partnership with Pediment Publishing, retails at $39.95 but you can get it for 20% off with the special pre-sale price of $31.95.
The book will ship Dec. 6, making it the perfect Christmas gift.
Reprints of IndyStar Caitlin Clark poster available at USA TODAY store
If your coffee table is already full, you can adorn your wall with a reprint of IndyStar’s “Fever Dream” poster, which was handed out to attendees at the Fever’s May 16 home opener against the New York Liberty. The poster features portraits of Fever players taken by Hollars, including a two-page poster portrait of Clark.