How the Caitlin Clark Effect has taken maintain forward of first recreation in Toronto

TORONTO — Before Caitlin Clark’s title was known as first general in 2024, the WNBA didn’t have million-dollar contracts or 15 lively groups. A league jersey within the wild was a uncommon sighting and accessing recreation broadcasts took appreciable sleuthing. There was no group in Golden State, and no plan for 5 growth groups in 5 years. 

There was no group in Canada.

But within the three seasons since, the league has erupted as each a sport and cultural phenomenon — partly as a result of eyeballs and greenback indicators the league’s once-in-a-lifetime star helped harness. 

Let’s face it, many of the followers that may crowd into Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday for the Indiana Fever’s first recreation towards the Tempo in Toronto most likely didn’t watch the league earlier than Clark was drafted. But Clark and the opposite younger stars who’ve joined since have reinvigorated the league, serving to change the best way the WNBA is acknowledged and adopted in lots of markets. 

“I think everyone’s a part of that journey now even though Caitlin (Clark) and Angel (Reese) probably propelled it to that next level, and that’s exciting. So we’ve got to build on momentum,” Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello stated after Monday’s follow. 

“I know more eyes are on us. More people are going to start, you know, clickbaiting and all that kind of stuff. But yeah, we’re special because of our players and the product that we have.”

The Fever are the most-watched group within the league by a protracted shot, and with them enjoying in Toronto, there’s a chance for the Tempo to reintroduce themselves to a brand new batch of followers. 

“Obviously Indiana is a great team. They bring a lot of fans, blah blah. We know, we know what happens in Indiana. But I just think, like for women’s sports in general, it’s awesome to see Scotiabank Arena filled out, regardless of who we are playing,” Marina Mabrey stated at follow forward of the sport. 

There’s a fairly clear cause as to why Tuesday’s recreation is being performed at Scotiabank Arena as a substitute of the standard Coca-Cola Coliseum. 

Even earlier than the Fever known as Clark’s title on draft night time, groups had began relocating future video games towards the Fever to accommodate larger fan attendance — a course of that’s continued the three seasons since. 

Clark decimated information in her first season within the league. She set the single-season assists document with 337 and the single-game assists document with 19. She additionally broke the rookie scoring document with 769 factors, whereas totalling eight video games with no less than 20 factors and 10 assists. 

“Caitlin’s amazing. She does a lot of great things for Indiana. She leads the team. She’s a great scorer, great passer, great playmaker. So we’ll try to slow her down as much as we can. Try to slow (Kelsey) Mitchell and (Aliyah) Boston down as well,” Mabrey stated. 

After a sophomore season plagued with harm, she has rebounded in 2026. This yr, she is third within the league with 22 factors per recreation and first in assists with 8.3.

“(The WNBA) has got amazing players, and Caitlin’s driven that, and we’re not lying about that. I mean, it’s going to be a full house tomorrow, and Caitlin’s going to get a lot of cheers. I love it. Even as a Tempo coach here, I love it. It’s great,” Brondello stated. 

No group within the league attracts extra eyes than the Fever — they’re in six of the highest ten most-viewed video games since 2000 — however these eyes don’t go away after the ultimate whistle. They present up in social media rants and in feedback underneath Instagram posts, on nationwide information and in protests exterior of arenas. 

With so many followers following the Fever, each determination, opinion and motion their gamers make is amplified, scrutinized and normally steeped in controversy.

“I actually have some compassion and empathy for Caitlin because how hard’s that? Be in her shoes. You know these great players, there’s so much expectation on them, but she just handles herself brilliantly, and I know it’s not easy at all,” Brondello stated.

Clark’s seven technical fouls on the season haven’t helped; she’s one away from an automated one-game suspension. But, within the final month, she hasn’t reigned over media headlines alone — she’s shared the clickbait house with teammate Sophie Cunningham and head coach Stephanie White. 

What to find out about Tuesday’s matchup

The Tempo nonetheless want a win at Scotiabank Arena. Both their matchups there this season — towards the Mercury and Lynx — didn’t go their method. 

“Last time we played at Scotiabank (Arena) was terrible,” Brondello stated. “We’re in front of our home fans, but now we’ve got all eyes on us, being a national televised game, so we have to just — that’s not why we play hard — but still go out to represent the Tempo in Toronto well,” Brondello stated.

But somebody was lacking from each the earlier Scotiabank video games: Brittney Sykes.

The final time the star defender performed was additionally the final time the Tempo confronted the Fever, June 16. Sykes left that recreation early with a left plantar fascia harm, which sidelined her for eight weeks. And though her participation on Tuesday has but to be confirmed as she awaits a last determination from her medical doctors, she has been listed as possible on the group’s harm report, and lots of indicators level to this recreation as her first one again. 

“(I’m) just coming to the tail end of it, and you know, still got to talk with the doctors, see how they feel about things, you know, ask questions about how I feel about things, and then go from there. Obviously, we have a game tomorrow, but obviously, I’m a present-tense person,” Sykes stated on Monday. 

The Tempo may use their finest defender again on the court docket. Defence has been a season-long wrestle for the growth group, and with the likes of Boston, Mitchell and Clark on the opposite finish of the ground, the Fever received’t be a simple process.

In their final assembly with Indiana, Toronto suffered harm hurdles with each Sykes and Julie Allemand leaving mid-game. As a end result, the Tempo struggled to maintain the rating shut with solely eight out there our bodies remaining. The 22-point loss got here as Clark scored 21 and added 14 assists. In Tuesday’s recreation, accidents stay an element for the Tempo with Allemand, Maria Conde, and Nyara Sabally all listed as out.

To reverse the end result on Tuesday, Toronto must clog Clark’s passing lanes and decide issues up on defence. The dwelling group might also select to activate growth gamers so as to add additional our bodies.