Indiana Fever vs. Dallas Wings live updates: Caitlin Clark’s WNBA debut; stats, highlights

The 2024 WNBA season kicks off tonight with two preseason games. Rookie Caitlin Clark, the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft, will make her debut with the Indiana Fever as they take on the Dallas Wings.

All eyes will be on Clark, the record-setting phenom from Iowa, who is expected to start for the Fever alongside forward/center Aliyah Boston, the 2023 WNBA rookie of the year. The Wings also feature an excellent inside-outside combo in guard Arike Ogunbowale and forward Natasha Howard.

College Park Center in Arlington, Texas, is sold out for the 8 pm ET tip. Fans can watch the action on the WNBA’s League Pass by downloading the WNBA app.

The second game features the Chicago Sky at Minnesota Lynx, also at 8 pm ET.

USA TODAY Sports will provide the latest news, scores, analysis and more. Follow along.

Clark helps Fever jump out to an early lead

Behind two made 3-pointers from Clark, the Fever jumped out to a 14-3 lead with 6:23 to play. Clark is 2-for-2 from distance and has already threaded some nice passes through transition. Five Fever players have already scored.

Caitlin Clark is ‘not afraid of this moment’

Clark is letting us into her head ahead of her WNBA debut. Moments before the Fever tip-off the preseason against the Dallas Wings on Friday, the rookie said she’s “very excited” to play despite the “quick turnaround” from the end of her college season.

Clark said she’s going to prepare the same way and have the same belief in herself that she had at Iowa University.

“I think just soak in the environment and enjoy it, but more than anything, continue to be me,” she said. “I think the biggest thing I’m telling myself going into this game is don’t be afraid of this moment , you’re ready for this, you worked for this and go get after it.” — Cydney Henderson

Sheryl Swoopes calling Caitlin Clark’s WNBA debut

Sheryl Swoopes, who’s calling the Indiana-Dallas game tonight, said it best as we get ready for tip off: “Women’s basketball has always been exciting but where we are today, this movement is something we’ve always wanted.”

Swoopes, who was unanimously voted one of the 25 best WNBA players of all time when the league celebrated its 25th anniversary a few seasons ago, certainly knows what she’s talking about. Swoopes was the first-ever player signed to the WNBA and a three-time league MVP.

Indiana Fever vs. Dallas Wings starting lineups

INDIANA FEVER

• Nalyssa Smith

• Caitlin Clark

• Erica Wheeler

• Lexi Hull

• Aliyah Boston

DALLAS WINGS

• Veronica Burton

• Arika Ogunbowale

• Jaelyn Brown

• Natasha Howard

• Tierra McCowan

When she was in college at Northwestern, Burton was considered one of the top defenders in the Big Ten. She’ll be familiar with Clark’s game, and I fully expect her to guard the rookie.

How to stream Indiana Fever vs. Dallas Wings

Fans can watch on the WNBA’s League Pass by downloading the WNBA app. Preseason games are free. The game is also available for streaming on Fubo here (regional restrictions apply).

Caitlin Clark ready for WNBA debut tonight: ‘This is the pros. This is my job.’

DALLAS — It’s officially the day many fans have been waiting for. The day Caitlin Clark, one of the most-hyped picks in WNBA history, makes her professional debut as the Indiana Fever take on the Dallas Wings in the first preseason game of the 2024 season.

“I would’ve liked to start at home, but just throw me out into the fire, why not,” Clark joked.

This first preseason game will also be crucial for Clark, who will be seeing live action in the WNBA for the first time.

“Obviously, there’s so much you can do in practice, but you become very familiar with what other teams are doing,” Clark said. “I want to step on the court, then I want to leave the court tonight feeling that I played like Caitlin Clark, I played like I have my entire life.”

This game will be crucial for the Fever, who are experimenting with new lineups both in the first and second teams. The first team Indiana will potentially run with is Clark, guard Erica Wheeler, small forward Katie Lou Samuelson, forward NaLyssa Smith and center Aliyah Boston.

Kelsey Mitchell, the Fever’s longest-tenured player, is doubtful with an ankle injury. Mitchell will likely slot back into the starting lineup once she returns, and Sides said she was day-to-day. —Chloe Peterson, Indianapolis Star

Read the full story here.

What time is Indiana Fever vs. Dallas Wings?

Indiana vs. Dallas tips off at 8 pm ET today.

How to watch Indiana Fever vs. Dallas Wings

The game is not televised.

How 10 seconds with Maya Moore changed Caitlin Clark’s life

Caitlin Clark likes to think of it as 10 seconds that changed her life.

Maybe that’s an exaggeration. Clark, who went No. 1 in the WNBA draft and will start her career with the Indiana Fever on Friday when she plays in her first preseason game, at Dallas, probably would have grown up to be a transcendent basketball star even if Maya Moore, the 2014 WNBA MVP, hadn’t hugged her 10 years ago after a Minnesota Lynx game.

Clark probably would have still rewritten the record books, earned an eight-figure shoe deal and drawn millions of new fans to the women’s game.

But that 10 seconds made an impression.

Read Lindsay Schnell’s story here.

WNBA preseason power rankings

Las Vegas is the dominant team in the league, with the reigning champion Aces looking to three-peat. The New York Liberty and Connecticut Sun are right on their heels. The Seattle Storm, Dallas Wings and Phoenix Mercury had productive offseasons to close the gap.

The exciting rookie class is led by Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft who is trying to lead the franchise back to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. So where do the 12 teams rank?

Scooby Axson provides his WNBA preseason power rankings. Read his analysis here.

Aliyah Boston returns to Fever stronger than ever

INDIANAPOLIS — When Fever center Aliyah Boston wasn’t working as an analyst for women’s college basketball games on Peacock, she was hitting the gym.

A lot.

Between 22 in-studio shows throughout the regular season, then on-location at the Final Four in Cleveland, Boston made sure to put her strength training at the forefront.

“Her body looks amazing,” Fever coach Christie Sides told reporters on the first day of training camp. “She spent the offseason, as busy as she was doing what you guys do — and she was awesome at it, by the way — she was getting in the work.”

Enough so that she didn’t want to publicly say what her new deadlift max is.

Boston, standing at 6-5, was one of the tallest centers in the SEC when she played for South Carolina. When she came over to the WNBA, she faced players like Brittney Griner, Jonquel Jones and Teaira McCowan — all of whom are not only taller than her, but stronger, too, with multiple years of experience in the league.

So, the unanimous Rookie of the Year knew she needed to get stronger to be able to contend with the league’s tallest players. —Chloe Peterson, Indianapolis Star

What makes Caitlin Clark so good?

We asked some hoops legends for their thoughts on the generational talent. Steph Curry, Maya Moore, Kelsey Mitchell and others broke down her game, explaining what makes her so special.

When does Caitlin Clark play again?

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever will host the Atlanta Dream on Thursday, May 9, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Fever’s final preseason game is scheduled to tip at 7 pm ET.

10 bold predictions for the WNBA season

The 28th WNBA season doesn’t tip until May 14, but with preseason games starting Friday, it’s time to start thinking about what’s in store for women’s professional basketball the next few months.

There’s never been more excitement around the women’s game. With a star-studded draft class, a team going for its third consecutive championship and a summer Olympics that will help drum up interest in women’s basketball, the WNBA is headed into its most anticipated season since the league debuted almost three decades ago.

So what can we expect this summer? For starters, Caitlin Clark will lead the WNBA in assists and make the Olympic team.

Read Lindsay Schnell’s WNBA bold predictions here.

10 best regular-season WNBA games to watch in 2024

If the 2023-24 women’s college basketball season is any indication, the WNBA is primed for its most exciting and most watched season yet.

College stars like Caitlin Clark, the top overall pick in the 2024 draft by the Indiana Fever who broke all sorts of records during her career at Iowa, and Chicago Sky rookies Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso, who led LSU and South Carolina, respectively, to NCAA championships, captivated the nation with their skills and personality and now embark on their professional careers.

The rookies enter a league that already features the best pro basketball players in the world, players who are hungry to show off their talents to new viewers who might be checking out the WNBA for the first time. There are some regular-season games you will want to circle on your calendar and carve out time to watch on TV or attend.

Click here for 10 regular-season games to watch in the 2024 WNBA season.

Fever move home exhibition to accommodate Pacers

INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis basketball fans will have to wait one fewer day to see rookie Caitlin Clark make her home debut with the Fever.

With the NBA scheduling the Pacers to host the New York Knicks in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series, Friday, May 10, the Fever’s originally scheduled exhibition finale for the same date in the same building something had to give.

The Fever announced Friday its lone home preseason game will move up one day to Thursday, May 9, at 7 pm to accommodate the Pacers’ playoff schedule. The change will give the Fever six days between their exhibition opener in Dallas tonight and the Dream. —Chloe Peterson, Indianapolis Star

When does the Indiana Fever open the regular season?

Caitlin Clark and the Fever will open the regular season on the road against the Connecticut Sun on May 14. Their home opener is May 16, against the New York Liberty.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever vs Dallas Wings live updates: score, stats