BELLEAIR, Fla. (AP) — Kai Trump is ready to live out her childhood dream in the spotlight.
The granddaughter of President Donald Trump will be making her LPGA debut this week in The Annika at Pelican Golf Club.
The 18-year-old high school senior already sounds like a pro. She handled a 12-minute news conference Tuesday with poise and maturity.
“I think I’m going to learn a lot no matter what happens,” Kai Trump said. “I’m just going to go out there and have fun and see which way it goes. I’m going to take a lot away from it. Obviously, competing with the best players is going to be cool. To be inside the ropes with them, playing with them, learning what kind of shots they hit, what do they do on the course. So, yeah, just looking forward to it and playing with the best.”
Trump began playing golf at age 2 and has committed to going to the University of Miami. She received one of the three sponsor exemptions for the tournament that are usually given to players who can help promote women’s golf. Trump has more than 9 million followers on social media. WNBA star Caitlin Clark is also playing in the tournament in the pro-am.
“So the idea of the exemption, when you go into the history of exemptions, is to bring attention to an event,” said Dan Doyle Jr., owner of Pelican Golf Club. “She’s lovely to speak to and she brought a lot of viewers through Instagram and things like that that normally don’t watch women’s golf was the hopes, and we’re seeing it now on Instagram and social media. So it’s created a buzz on top of the other great players that we have here.”
Trump played half the course with legendary golfer Annika Sorenstam, the tournament host, on Monday. Sorenstam mentioned how she received a controversial invitation to play on the PGA Tour in 2003 and that turned casual spectators into experts with strong opinions.
“Kai brings a lot of different people to the sport and we want people to hear about our tournament and be part of it,” Sorenstam said. “The word is spreading and I think that’s a good thing. Keep in mind, The ANNIKA Foundation is a beneficiary here, and we’re all about providing and empowering our women. It really fits in our mission as well. We’re really looking forward to the week.”
Trump asked Sorenstam for a few tips while they were on the course together.
“It was amazing,” Trump said. “I asked her a few questions about her swing and what I should maybe do differently. I just asked her questions around the greens, too, because around these greens it’s tough and you can hit different shots into them and what her opinion would be on some of those shots. It was really cool meeting her. She’s a legend, so nice to play nine holes with her.”
No, Kai’s grandpa isn’t coming to watch her play this weekend.
“He’s running the world right now, so a little busy,” Trump said. “To me, he’s just a normal grandpa. Always has been.”
Yes, she’s plays with President Trump but wouldn’t reveal who wins.
“He’s pretty good. We have some tight matches. Yeah, can’t say much,” she said. “We play a lot. We have a great time out there. We’re always on the same team as well.”
Grandpa’s advice?
“Go out there and have fun. Just don’t get nervous,” she said.
Tiger Woods also gave Trump advice.
“I mean, he is the best golfer in the entire world. I would say that. And even better person,” she said. “He told me to go out there and have fun and just go with the flow. Whatever happens, happens.”
Trump’s best finish was runner-up on a Hurricane Junior Tour event. She finished last (by 22 shots) at 52-over par at the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley. Currently. Trump is ranked No. 461 by the American Junior Golf Association.
“I think what I love most about golf is that it’s challenging. You’re never going to be 100% and there is always something to work on,” Trump said. “I think that’s kind of keeps on bringing me back to play golf and practice golf.”
Kai Trump rose to prominence with her speech during last year’s Republican National Convention where she talked about having a “normal grandpa” who would give her soda and candy when her parents weren’t watching.
She’s the eldest daughter of Donald Trump Jr.
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AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson contributed to this report.
More than 700 community and business leaders attended the event.
Clark discussed focus, leadership, and challenges in professional sports.
She highlighted her foundation’s work supporting youth and communities.
WNBA star Caitlin Clark made her first visit to Long Island on Wednesday, speaking before more than 700 local leaders at the Long Island Association’s annual fall luncheon at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury.
They were there to glean insights from the 23-year-old Indiana Fever guard, who spoke about basketball, leadership, coaching and more.
In a one-on-one conversation with Matt Cohen, president and CEO of the Long Island Association (LIA), Clark spoke about the benefits of focus and passion for the game.
“I really love my craft, and I love getting better at it,” she said, adding that not everyone shares the same passion for putting in the hours at the gym to excel.
Clark holds the distinction of being the youngest and first female professional athlete to address the LIA’s fall luncheon, an event typically featuring political leaders, authors or athletes.
On Wednesday, LIA Chair Larry Waldman told the crowd that this year the organization is taking “a break from politics,” which won applause in the room.
Cohen has described Clark as a “transformational figure” in sports who “has in many ways transcended the sport of women’s basketball, and she’s changed the economics of the league.”
In Woodbury on Wednesday, Clark said that she considers New York a top place to play basketball, adding that the crowd and support here are “really fun.”
Still, she said there are challenges that sports fans may never see. For example, injuries and setbacks bring disappointment, she said. But those experiences have helped her “become a better teammate,” she added.
She emphasized the importance of showing up for teammates, saying, that often “those are the teams that win at the end of the day.”
A businesswoman and philanthropist, Clark said earning her degree in marketing at the University of Iowa help her in these roles. Now with partnerships with such companies as Nike and Gatorade, Clark stressed the importance of collaborating with “brands that align with who I am.”
Asked by Cohen if she had any advice for some of the university leaders at the luncheon about working with student athletes, Clark pointed out that the athletes are typically 22 years old and younger who are beginning to find their footing. Support from coaches and university leaders can help young athletes navigate their paths, she said.
Philanthropy through the Caitlin Clark Foundation, Clark said, is a highlight for her. The nonprofit aims to “uplift and improve the lives of youth and their communities through education, nutrition and sport,” according to the foundation. The organization has installed athletic courts in Iowa and Indianapolis for kids to play sports, orchestrated backpack giveaways and more.
Giving back, she said, was part of her upbringing.
Clark often steered the conversation back to her family, who kept her grounded as a young athlete.
She offered advice to young athletes today.
“Just enjoy it,” she said.
Pointing out that it wasn’t that long ago since she was a high school athlete, she reflected on those days, calling them “some of my best memories.”
Caitlin Clark’s superstardom is unprecedented in the world of women’s sports.
Since her WNBA entrance as the Indiana Fever’s No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft, Clark has facilitated countless TV viewership and in-person attendance records for the league. The NCAA’s all-time leading scorer electrified the sports world in her debut professional season, setting several all-time league records and winning Rookie of the Year.
While Clark missed the majority of the 2025 WNBA season with a variety of injury issues, she remains one of the most influential athletes in the world.
On Wednesday, Forbes released its inaugural 2025 list of America’s Most Powerful Women in Sports.
Clark ranks No. 4 on the list, trailing only New Orleans Saints/Pelicans owner Gayle Benson, FanDuel CEO Amy Howe and Nike Brand president Amy Montagne.
Clark is the top-ranked active athlete on the list, leading a prestigious group featuring names like Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, Coco Gauff, A’ja Wilson, Simone Biles and Nelly Korda.
“Caitlin Clark has turned her record-breaking college basketball career into early dominance in the WNBA,” Forbes writes in its description of Clark. “Her estimated $8.1 million in income from her rookie season with the Indiana Fever was bolstered by big deals with Nike, Wilson and Gatorade and signals a shift in how female athletes are being valued in the world of professional sports.
“Last month, the Fever announced that Clark would be sidelined with an injury for the remainder of the WNBA season to focus on her recovery, but the injury doesn’t change the fact that Clark has, in the last two years, been the spark that lit the match that set women’s sports on fire.”
Clark burst onto the WNBA scene in 2024, averaging 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and a league-leading 8.4 assists per game as an All-Star point guard for the Fever. She became the first rookie in WNBA history to record multiple triple-doubles in her debut campaign, and set the league’s all-time single-season assist record (337).
Clark appeared in just 13 games for the Fever in 2025, averaging 16.5 points, 8.8 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game. Despite her absence throughout the WNBA postseason, Indiana played its way to the semifinals before ultimately falling to the eventual-champion Las Vegas Aces.
Clark will look to resume her stellar play when she returns to the court for the Fever in 2026.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said Friday there’s work to be done to repair relationships with players in the league, while adding that there were “inaccuracies” in some of the comments attributed to her by Napheesa Collier in a blistering assessment earlier this week.
“I was disheartened to hear that some players feel the league and that I personally do not care about them or listen to them,” Engelbert said before Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Friday night. “If the players in the ‘W’ don’t feel appreciated and value from the league, we have to do better and I have to do better.”
In wide-ranging comments, Engelbert said officiating will be reviewed this offseason by a new “state of the game” committee. The commissioner also said the league and the players’ union have meetings scheduled for next week to discuss a new collective bargaining agreement. Engelbert also said she plans to remain as commissioner after a CBA is finalized.
As for comments that Collier said Engelbert made in private conversations about Caitlin Clark needing the WNBA to succeed financially, the commissioner denied saying them.
“Caitlin has been a transformational player in this league. She’s been a great representative of the game,” Engelbert said. “She’s brought in tens of millions of new fans to the game.”
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert speaks prior to Game 1 of a WNBA basketball final playoff series between the Las Vegas Aces and the Phoenix Mercury, Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, in Las Vegas.
John Locher / AP
During her four-minute statement, Collier described an interaction she had with Engelbert in February in which she asked how the league planned to address officiating issues. According to Collier, Engelbert responded that “only the losers complain about the refs.”
The two will meet next week, either in person or virtually, Engelbert said.
Meanwhile, Engelbert believes a new CBA deal will get done, albeit not necessarily by the Oct. 31 deadline.
“That is a real deadline from that perspective. We have extended deadlines in the past,” she said. “I know last time when I was only a couple days on the job, we got to an extension and got a deal done. … I feel confident that we can get a deal done, but if not, I think we could do an extension.”
Engelbert said higher salaries for players is a goal both sides share.
“We continue to meet and have important conversations with the players’ association. I want to reiterate that we want much of the same things that the players want,” Engelbert said. “We want to significantly increase the increase their salary and benefits, while also supporting the long-term growth and viability of the WNBA.”
Engelbert said it’s clear there are differences between the way players and coaches feel about the physical nature of the game and the way the referees officiate.
The committee tasked with reforming officiating will include players, coaches, general managers and others.
“I think it’s pretty clear that we’re misaligned currently on what our stakeholders want from officiating,” Engelbert said. “We have heard loud and clear that we have not lived up to that needed alignment.”
Engelbert said the league needs to look at “good, aggressive play that we recognize has evolved into rough play and how to calibrate the line for legal and illegal content to ensure player safety and exciting competition.”
Engelbert denied reports that she’ll be leaving the WNBA after the new CBA is finished.
“I’ve never been a quitter. I’m entering my 40th year, actually, this month in business. Never been a quitter. I’ve never shied away from tough situations,” she said.
Engelbert has delivered on many of her promises since coming into the league in 2019. She will have added six expansion teams by 2030 and secured a major new media rights deal for the next decade that will bring in more than $2.2 billion. Engelbert also had the league pay for a full charter flight program this season that the players hope will be added to the new CBA to address concerns about issues ranging from safety to travel time.
The league has enjoyed monumental growth over the last few years, and Engelbert said she knows there’s more work to be done.
The Indiana Fever went through about as much of an up-and-down season as any team in any sports has ever gone through. For Caitlin Clark, it was a bittersweet season that will leave her more hungry than ever for next season.
Clark was only able to play in 13 games this year due to injury issues. She missed all of the playoffs due to a groin injury. Unfortunately, the questions will remain about whether or not the Fever would have won a championship with her on the court.
On Tuesday night, Indiana saw it season come to an end in a winner-take-all Game 5 matchup on the road against the Las Vegas Aces. The Fever fought to the end, taking the Aces to overtime despite being incredibly short-staffed.
Not only was Clark out in the playoffs, Indiana was also forced to play without Sophie Cunningham, Aari McDonald, Sydney Colson, Chloe Bibby, and Damiris Dantas. Kelsey Mitchell, the star Fever guard, also went down with an injury in Game 5.
Despite not having so many players, Indiana found a way to take Las Vegas to overtime. Heading into next season, there is no question that the Fever will be among the top-tier championship contenders.
Following Indiana’s loss to the Aces, Clark took to social media on X and shared a short and touching message to her teammates and to the Fever fan base.
“So much to be proud of,” Clark wrote. “Shoutout the fans for staying with us all year.”
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Few teams have had as much bad luck on the injury front as Indiana had this season. Stephanie White deserves a lot of credit for the job she did coaching the Fever through all of the different injuries. Even without all of those players mentioned above, Indiana was close to making it to the WNBA Finals.
While the sting of the Game 5 loss is still fresh, the future is bright for the Fever. White and Clark have a strong foundation underneath them as the team moves into the future.
Hopefully, the 2026 WNBA season will consist of much better luck. It will be interesting to see what Indiana does in the offseason and which players are back from this season. However, it was a special year and the Fever should be proud of what they were able to accomplish despite all of the adversity they faced.
For more on the Indiana Fever and for more WNBA news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
Indiana Fever stars Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham have been relegated to cheerleaders after suffering season-ending injuries ahead of the playoffs.
But they still made an effort to impact the Fever’s playoff game against the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday night.
During the first quarter, Clark and Cunningham made a demonstrative gesture to officials, protesting that a Dream player should be called for traveling.
Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark sits on the bench after an apparent injury during the second half of a WNBA basketball game against the Connecticut Sun, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Footage of their joint gesture went viral on social media.
Sophie Cunningham #8 of the Indiana Fever looks on during the first half of a game against the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto.com Arena on Aug. 05, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.(Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Later in the game, when officials did call a travel on Atlanta, Clark was seen imitating the gesture again, playfully.
The Fever went on to win the game to even the series against the Dream at one game a piece.
The two teams will play a winner-take-all rubber game on Thursday for the right to advance in the WNBA playoffs.
Sophie Cunningham and Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever react from the bench in the second quarter against the Phoenix Mercury at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 30, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
But the Fever will have to do so without their two biggest stars, as they are not coming back this season.
Still, the cameras are likely to be on the two sidelined stars often so long as the team is still playing.
Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.
Some fans hoped that Clark, last year’s No. 1 pick and WNBA Rookie of the Year, would suit up in time for the postseason.
On Tuesday, she arrived at the court to meet her teammates, including Aliyah Boston and Sophie Cunningham, who had strong reactions once she got there.
Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever looks on prior to the game against the Chicago Sky at the United Center on July 27, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever looks on prior to the game against the Chicago Sky at the United Center on July 27, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
In a clip that surfaced on social media, Clark walked inside the arena to see some of her teammates seated on the bench. Fans already in the building let out cheers for the injured superstar.
Clark wore a black Indiana Fever WNBA Playoffs t-shirt and black pants. However, multiple teammates noticed the black Air Force 1 sneakers she also proudly wore.
Boston seemed particularly enthusiastic about Clark’s shoes, claiming, “She means business.”
Another teammate walked over from the bench and reacted by smiling and jumping a bit as she checked out Clark’s sneakers.
“She’s a threat,” Boston said to teammates, adding, “The refs better watch out. She’s gonna be stepping today.”
Caitlin Clark takes the court to big cheers. Her teammates love that she’s wearing black Air Force 1s.
However, Cunningham seemed unimpressed by the latest fit, jokingly pointing out, “Black socks. Awful dude.”
“I mess with it. You mean business. Black Forces is crazy,” Boston chimed in.
Clark averaged 16.5 points, five rebounds, and 8.8 assists in 13 games this past season. Even injured, she is seemingly doing what she can to try to inspire her team to get wins.
Ahead of Game 1, Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White and player Lexie Hull both expressed happiness that they’d have Clark and their other injured players there for support at their playoff games.
The Fever dropped that first game, 80-68, in Atlanta with Jordin Canada and Rhyne Howard each scoring 20 points. Kelsey Mitchell led all Fever players with 27 points. Boston had 12 rebounds to go with her eight points and five assists.
Game 2 occurs in Indiana in front of the home area fans. A loss on Tuesday would mean the end of the Fever’s postseason run, without Clark and other injured roster members.
Aliyah Boston previously defended her teammate’s decision to end her season and continue her recovery amid the team’s playoff run.
“We’d rather Caitlin sit out and then come back next season, and we’re ready to roll, and we’re ready to rock,” Boston said.
Caitlin Clark will miss the rest of the Indiana Fever’s season because of a right groin injury.
“I had hoped to share a better update, but I will not be returning to play this season,” Clark said in a statement Thursday. “I spent hours in the gym every day with the singular goal of getting back out there, disappointed isn’t a big enough word to describe how I am feeling. I want to thank everyone who had my back through all the uncertainty.”
“This has been incredibly frustrating, but even in the bad, there is good,” she continued. “The way the fans continued to show up for me, and for the Fever, brought me so much joy and important perspective. I am so proud of how this team has only gotten stronger through adversity this year. Now it’s time to close out the season and claim our spot in the playoffs.”
Clark was injured late in a July 15 game against the Connecticut Sun, and later sustained a bone bruise. The former Iowa star averaged 16.5 points, 8.8 assists and 5.0 rebounds in 13 games in her second season in the WNBA.
Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever reacts during the second half of the WNBA game against the Phoenix Mercury at PHX Arena on Sept. 2, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona. The Mercury defeated the Fever 85-79.
Christian Petersen / Getty Images
“Caitlin has worked so hard throughout this time, doing everything possible to recover and return to the court but, ultimately, time is not on our side,” Fever COO and GM Amber Cox said in a statement. “While we will continue working with Caitlin and provide her with every resource we have available, there is not enough time left in our season for her to safely return, and her long-term health and well-being remains our top priority. We are looking forward to having her back at full strength to start the 2026 season.”
The 2024 Rookie of the Year had been trying to get back to help her team reach the postseason for a second straight year. She participated in full-court drills without defense during a shootaround before the Fever faced the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday night. Coach Stephanie White said Thursday at practice that Clark hasn’t done much contact work yet.
Indiana is currently in eighth place in the standings, 1 1/2 games in front of Los Angeles with three games to play.
It has been a rough season for Clark, who also dealt with injuries to her left quad and left groin. This was the first time she’s had injury issues. She never missed a game in her collegiate career at Iowa or her first year in the WNBA.
The Fever have lost five players for the season with injuries, now including Clark. Fellow guards Sydney Colson (knee), Aari McDonald (foot), Sophie Cunningham (knee) and forward Chloe Bibby (knee) are also out.
Clark has helped women’s basketball grow in both college and the WNBA. The league had record attendance this season, even with Clark missing most of the season.
Speaking to CBS News in September 2024, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert reflected on Clark’s importance to the league, describing her as “an unbelievable player” who has an “an unbelievable following” and “has brought a lot of new fans to the league.”
“No league’s ever about one player,” Engelbert said at the time. “That player could get hurt or whatever. So I think it’s just to give recognition that in sports, people watch for compelling content and rivalries. And you can’t do that alone as one person.”
Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever have suffered through a rough 2025 WNBA season. At the beginning of the year, they were expected to be a championship contender. That has not been the case.
With just seven games remaining in the season, the Fever hold a 19-18 record. As for Clark, she has only been able to play in 13 of those games.
Even though Indiana is still the No. 8 ranked team in the WNBA, recent days have not been kind to the team. Over their last eight games, the Fever have gone just 2-6. They have been sliding down in the standings during that time period.
Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever reacts during the fourth quarter against the Seattle Storm in the game at Climate Pledge Arena on May 22, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever reacts during the fourth quarter against the Seattle Storm in the game at Climate Pledge Arena on May 22, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images
Lately, Clark has been missing time due to a groin injury. Unfortunately, that is not going to change when Indiana takes on the Seattle Storm on Tuesday night.
As shared by Tony East of Forbes, the Fever have ruled Clark out for that game. In addition, Indiana will be without Chloe Bibby as well and the other three players who are dealing with season-ending injuries.
While there is still hope that she will return at some point this season, there has been no timetable offered. The Fever are simply having to wait and see when she’s ready to return to the court.
All season long, Clark has been banged up and dealing with injuries. Even when she has played, she has come up well short of being the MVP candidate that many thought she would be.
Throughout the 13 games she has played, Clark has averaged just 16.5 points, 8.8 assists, five rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game, while also shooting 36.7 percent from the floor and 27.9 percent from three-point range.
Despite all of the bad that has been going on for the superstar guard, Clark had some big news drop on Monday. Clark is officially a Nike athlete and her new logo has been revealed.
Hopefully, her 2025 season is not lost. She may not be playing against the Storm, but there are still six other games after that one on the schedule.
If Clark is able to return, perhaps the Fever could sneak into the playoff picture. Should they be able to make that happen and Clark is at full health, Indiana could still be a team that makes some noise in the postseason.
Make sure to follow Newsweek Sports for all Indiana Fever and WNBA news and updates.
Kayla McBride scored 29 points, Jessica Shepard got the second triple-double in franchise history, and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Indiana Fever 95-90 on Friday night.
The Lynx (29-7) snapped a two-game losing streak and are 7-3 in their last 10 games.
Shepard finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists on 10-for-11 shooting while playing all 40 minutes. She joined Moriah Jefferson as the only Lynx players to record triple-doubles in franchise history.
She completed her triple in just 21:57 of action, the fastest in WNBA history. Previously, the record was set by Seattle’s Skylar Diggins on July 28, at 22:51 of play.
McBride added five assists, and was 10 for 19 from the field. Natisha Hiedeman had 17 points in 26 minutes off the bench.
Minnesota Lynx’s Kayla McBride (21) is defended by Indiana Fever’s Kelsey Mitchell (0) during the second half of a WNBA basketball game, Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, in Indianapolis.
Darron Cummings / AP
Kelsey Mitchell scored 27 points to lead Indiana (19-17), and Lexie Hull had a career-high 23.
Shepard had a double-double at the half with 11 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds. Minnesota took the lead for good off Shepard’s driving layup early in the third quarter, and outscored the Fever 32-17 in the period.
With four minutes remaining in the game, Indiana went on a 10-4 run, but their comeback came up just short.
Shey Peddy started off her Fever career with three straight 3-pointers after joining the team on a seven-day hardship contract on Wednesday. She finished with 10 points in 16 minutes.
Caitlin Clark missed her 14th straight game with a right groin injury.
The teams last met in the Commissioner’s Cup championship on July 1, a 74-59 Indiana victory.
Up next
Lynx host the Fever in the second game of a home-and-home on Sunday.
The Indiana Fever fired coach Christie Sides on Sunday, the organization announced.
Sides went 33-47 in her two seasons with the squad, including going 20-20 this season. The Fever made the playoffs as the sixth seed and were swept in the first round by the Connecticut Sun.
Indiana is the sixth team to make a coaching change this offseason, joining Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington and Los Angeles. All of the coaches let go had three years or less experience.
Indiana Fever head coach Christie Sides reacts during Game 2 of a first-round WNBA basketball playoff series against the Connecticut Sun, Sept. 25, 2024, in Uncasville, Conn.
Jessica Hill / AP
Whoever takes over the Fever will have a strong young core to work with, led by Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston. The pair have won the last two WNBA Rookie of the Year awards.
“We are incredibly thankful to Coach Sides for embracing the challenge of leading us through an integral transition period over the last two seasons, while also positioning us well for future growth,” Fever president of basketball operations Kelly Krauskopf said.
“While decisions like these are never easy, it is also imperative that we remain bold and assertive in the pursuit of our goals, which includes maximizing our talent and bringing another WNBA championship back to Indiana. Coach Sides was an incredible representative of the Fever and our community, and we wish her nothing but success in the future.”
Krauskopf came back to the Fever earlier this month after spending time with the Indiana Pacers.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) is greeted by coach Christie Sides after a foul during the first half of the team’s WNBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Sparks in Los Angeles, Friday, May 24, 2024.
Ashley Landis / AP
Sides was a longtime assistant in the league, spending time with Chicago (2011-16), the Fever (2017-19) and Atlanta (2022) before getting the head coaching job. She replaced Marianne Stanley and her interim successor, Carlos Knox, who coached in the 2022 season.
Sides had two years left on her contract.
The Fever haven’t had a head coach last for more than three years since Lin Dunn, who coached from 2008-14. Since then, they’ve had Stephanie White (2015-16), Pokey Chatman (2017-19) and Stanley (2020-22).
Indiana had a brutal schedule to start the season and lost eight of their first nine games. The Fever finally got going after the Olympic break, winning seven of eight to get into playoff contention.
In June of 1984, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson met in the NBA Finals for the first time; the following week, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley were drafted; and the league would never be the same…Forty years later, the WNBA arrives at a similar hingepoint. A rookie class, as good as advertised, has made a seamless transition from college to the pros, blending with established stars. Sports have a knack for bending stats to fit desired narratives, but the W’s growth figures astound. TV ratings have spiked 153% from last season—and that’s before the playoffs, which began last week… Gradually, then suddenly, this 27-year-old league has become a prominent player in the modern sportscape.
Never mind her slick drives in traffic, the deadeye passes…
…the three-pointers like this.
Caitlin Clark: Hello.
Jon Wertheim: Hey. How are you? Jon.
Caitlin Clark: Caitlin. Nice to meet you.
Jon Wertheim: Good to see you…
A few weeks ago in Indianapolis, we asked Caitlin Clark…
Caitlin Clark: Ask me the hard hitting questions…
…to pinpoint the signature moment of this signature season…and, well we didn’t see this coming… but neither did she.
Caitlin Clark: I remember we were in New York and Jonquel Jones set– a good screen on me, and my– I actually popped my eardrum, ruptured my eardrum just on a screen.
Jon Wertheim: Your eardrum?
Caitlin Clark: Yeah, it was actually, it was a really good screen by– by JJ. She’s a tremendous player, but I think that just kinda speaks to the physicality of the league. It’s just she kinda got me in the right spot.
Caitlin Clark
60 Minutes
Jon Wertheim: You smiled when you told that story. Good clean basketball play.
Caitlin Clark: It’s a good story. I think it’s something that I’ll always remember, like, coming into this league.
Jon Wertheim: Triple doubles, tho– those are all well and good, but it’s the eardrum rupture that–
Caitlin Clark: That’s probably more memorable, honestly.
Then again, maybe it’s fitting…as this is the season the WNBA lowered its shoulder, made its presence felt, and expanded its reach.
These fans came to central Indiana from…Newfoundland, Canada.
Jon Wertheim: And you’re here why?
Fan: Just to see the Fever game.
Fan: Caitlin Clark.
Clark—22, in number and in age—just led the Fever to the playoffs…She’s unquestionably the league’s main attraction …but not the only one. Another rookie, Angel Reese, made her mark too.
But the real breakthrough star of this WNBA season is…the W itself.
Building off a college season in which—unimaginable just a few years ago—the women’s championship game outdrew the men’s, W games can draw more eyeballs than NBA games do….League wide, attendance is up 48%.
In Minnesota, Napheesa Collier is this season’s Defensive Player of the Year…
She just dropped 80 points in the first two playoff games. Collier was drafted in 2019 and bridges two eras of the WNBA….we asked her about the difference this year.
Jon Wertheim: Home and away, you look into the crowds. What are you seeing?
Napheesa Collier: People, which is what we want. (laugh) It makes the game so, so fun. It’s like you’re sixth-man when you’re at home. And then when you’re away, you just can’t wait to silence the crowd. And that’s, like, the best feeling ever.
Jon Wertheim: You figured out a way to benefit from a full crowd even when it’s rooting against you.
Napheesa Collier and Jon Wertheim
60 Minutes
Napheesa Collier: Yeah. It’s almost more fun (laugh) when you’re, like, in a packed arena with the other team. And you hit, like, a big three or a big block or something. And you hear them all go, “Oh.” That’s– I love that feeling.
Jon Wertheim: That’s every bit as motivating.
Napheesa Collier: It really is.
Silencing crowds? Not an issue when the WNBA debuted in 1997, eight teams paired with eight existing NBA teams. From the jump, franchises came and went—the Houston Comets, won the first four titles…only to fold. But amid the instability, the WNBA was giving a generation of girls aspiration and inspiration…. When Clark was growing up in Iowa, already running circles around the boys, her dad took her to see a WNBA game in Minnesota. She returned home hellbent on adding distance to her jump shot.
Caitlin Clark: Like begging my dad to, like, tear up some grass and pour more concrete so I could have an entire three-point line in my driveway.
Jon Wertheim: Did that really happen? You– you extended your range–
Caitlin Clark: Oh yeah.
Jon Wertheim: –by dumpin’ more concrete?
Caitlin Clark: Yeah. ’cause it was, like, kind of slanted. Our driveway was, like, slanted, so I only had a three-point line on one side of the driveway. So… told my dad he had to tear up all this grass, and he did.
Likewise, her Fever teammate, six-foot-five center Aliyah Boston—last season’s Rookie of the Year—had grand ambitions.
Aliyah Boston: So when I first picked up a basketball, at first, I was like, “I want to go to college,” and that was really my goal. Until probably about sophomore year. I was like, “Yeah. Everything I do is for the number one pick.”
Jon Wertheim: I love that. So– so making the WNBA, that’s– became, like, a secondary goal (laugh) at some point. You– you wanted to be the number one pick.
Aliyah Boston: I wanted to be the number one pick.
Aliyah Boston
60 Minutes
She was. Then, this spring, came Clark, Reese, Cameron Brink and the 2024 vintage…
Jon Wertheim: Did you have the level of confidence that this draft class seems to?
Napheesa Collier: I don’t think anybody has (laugh) the level of confidence this draft class does. I think that’s what’s so amazing about them actually is they don’t act like rookies. It feels like nothing gets them down. And I think that’s amazing.
Jon Wertheim: Not a lot of impostor syndrome going on–
Napheesa Collier: Not a lot. No.
New confidence. Old school hoops… This is the league of choice for the basketball purist.…all passing and precision.
Napheesa Collier: Obviously– the men are really fun. They’re very athletic. They can dunk and all those things. But if you’re a true fan of basketball, I think that ours is really interesting. Because we play it the right way. We play it really smart. Our– season is shorter also. So, you know, we go a lot harder I think in our games.
Twelve teams of 12 players. 144 of the world’s best…A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces—the league’s reigning champs—is a three-time MVP, including this season. Her game, equal parts grace and power.
And there’s the O-G, Diana Taurasi, still doing this in her early 40s.
Caitlin Clark: A lotta these players are who I grew up watching on TV and wanting to be like, and now I get to play against them.
Jon Wertheim: Now they’re guarding you on the perimeter.
Caitlin Clark: Yeah, it’s pretty cool.
Clark herself already has a trademark shot: a jumper from just inside midcourt….the logo 3.
Caitlin Clark: Are you guys gonna make me shoot–in these nice clothes?
Jon Wertheim: We got confidence in you.
Caitlin Clark: That’s crazy. I’m not even warmed up either–
Caitlin Clark: I only shoot from back there in games if I’ve, like, made a couple. Then you get a free pass to, like, launch– launch a long three.
Caitlin Clark and Jon Wertheim
60 Minutes
Jon Wertheim: So that’s a free pass with the coach? Or that’s a free pass with yourself, with your own basketball values–
Caitlin Clark: Both, both, both
Jon Wertheim: What would you say your range is?
Caitlin Clark: I don’t know. Sometimes I–I feel like I’m closer than I– than I am. Like, I don’t feel that far back, especially in a game. I don’t know. I kinda just lose sight of where I actually am, which is probably a good thing.
Jon Wertheim: But you know you’re, like, one dribble (BALL) past mid-court sometimes.
Caitlin Clark: Yeah, couple dribbles past mid-court.
Part of her process: gauging the distance… this isn’t like shooting a free throw. Logos vary court-to-court.
Caitlin Clark: Like I would always wanna see how big the logo is. ‘Cause, like, some people have, like, bigger logos at center court, some have smaller ones. So it’s, like, if it’s pretty big, I can usually get there. I can probably get it here from here.
Jon Wertheim: All right.
Caitlin Clark: But I’m not– (ball) do you want me to try–
Jon Wertheim: Heck, yeah. (ball)
Caitlin Clark: OK, but you have to try second.
Jon Wertheim: All right.
Caitlin Clark: Let’s see.
Jon Wertheim: All right.
Caitlin Clark: This is my off day. You guys are putting me through a workout, it’s crazy. It’s crazy. I didn’t know I was signing up for this. There we go–
Jon Wertheim: Bang…
Caitlin Clark: Whoo.
The bottom-of-the-net success has changed the W’s balance sheets. Corporate sponsors have arrived.
So have the celebrities. The league recently signed a media rights deal that will pay $200 million a season, more than a three-fold increase….Cathy Engelbert is WNBA commissioner.
Jon Wertheim: The Caitlin Clark phenomenon. How do you describe it?
Cathy Engelbert: She’s clearly an unbelievable player, came in with an unbelievable following, has brought a lot of new fans to the league. If you look at our historic season around– our attendance, our viewership, Caitlin, Angel too, Angel Reese, Rickea Jackson, Cameron Brink. This class of rookies, we will be talking about them a generation from now.
Jon Wertheim: I notice when you’re asked about Caitlin a lot, you– you bring up other rookies as well.
Cathy Engelbert: No league’s ever about one player. That player could get hurt or whatever. So I think it’s just to give recognition that in sports, people watch for compelling content and rivalries. And you can’t do that alone as one person.
Though the commissioner touts league rivalries, competition has also brought out a certain ugliness…. this season saw an onslaught of vitriol – often racist – targeting players…this in a league that is 75% black.
Here’s veteran star Breanna Stewart, earlier this month, welcoming new fans, but demanding they act respectfully.
A happier earmark of growth: The WNBA announced plans to expand from 12 teams to 16. And for the first time this season, players travel on charter flights.
Aliyah Boston: I mean, that’s amazing. I– I miss my points a little bit. It’s OK.
Jon Wertheim: Oh, your miles? Your air miles.
Aliyah Boston: I miss my little points.
Jon Wertheim: No Delta miles–
Aliyah Boston: My little miles.
Jon Wertheim: –this year.
Aliyah Boston: No Delta miles but it’s ok. I think this is great, too, especially for recovery. You’re able to get back on that plane, get right back home after a game. The women that came before us, it’s like, this is because of you guys. Like, you guYs worked all this and now here we are. We’re able to step into that. And it’s– it’s a blessing for us.
Napheesa Collier recalls the old days on the road, staying two-to-a-room.
Napheesa Collier
60 Minutes
Napheesa Collier: We used to have to stay in, like, the team accredited hotels and now we can stay wherever. So a lot more five star hotels which is nice.
Jon Wertheim: Five star hotels flying private.
Napheesa Collier: I know. We’re living the life.
Jon Wertheim: Life’s good. You’re living the life.
Napheesa Collier: We’re like professional athletes or something.
The surge in success this season is about more than the basketball. The arrival walk to the locker room is now a fixture in pro sports— W players absolutely own this space…social media rocket fuel that engages fans. Players love it, Caitlin Clark included.
Consistent with the life cycle of other successful pro sports leagues, the players are done taking one for the team… They now want to get paid. Note the upcoming collective bargaining negotiations between the league and the players…A rookie salary for the 42-game season? $76,000. Base salary for the MVP? $200,000…Yet, the median NBA player salary this season: roughly $12 million.
Jon Wertheim: You talk about this growth and these ratings numbers. What’s a fair salary?
Aliyah Boston: I mean, someone like me, I love multiple commas just because, like, we deserve it. That’s– we come in here night in, night out. We work hard. You see the viewership numbers up. You see everything up. I mean, I’m– I’m all for it, ’cause I love a comma.
Jon Wertheim: Like a comma in that salary.
Aliyah Boston: Yeah.
As a union leader, Napheesa Collier will be at the bargaining table….The NBA shares revenues with its players roughly fifty-fifty and she wonders: is the W willing to do the same? As for commas?
Napheesa Collier: Of course, that would be obviously amazing. I don’t know how realistic. Like, that is obviously the goal. And I hope that we can get there.
Jon Wertheim: How much should we compare NBA and WNBA?
Napheesa Collier: We’re not asking for the same salaries as the NBA. What we’re looking for is rev shares. They’re making that because of rev shares. And so that’s what we’re wanting. That’s how we close that gap.
Jon Wertheim: How we’re sharing that pie.
Napheesa Collier: Yeah, how we’re sharing it.
Meantime, building on this watershed season, the women of the WNBA will keep shooting their shot.
Caitlin Clark: There we go.
Jon Wertheim: Bang. You knew that when it left your hands?
Caitlin Clark: I know when I’m gonna miss–I know when I’m gonna make it. The worst is when it feels good and you still miss–
Jon Wertheim: But you know as soon as– soon as it leaves your fingertips.
Caitlin Clark: If it feels good, yeah. So, like, if I miss it and it feels good. Like, that’s fine.
Jon Wertheim: You’re OK with that.
Caitlin Clark: You feel good about your shot, yeah.
With that as encouragement, from this season’s Rookie of the Year, we finally gave in.
Caitlin Clark: I think you have to go now. Come on. Let’s see if you can get it there–
Jon Wertheim: Two more, two more. You know, I have no legs.
Caitlin Clark: No, I feel confident. Let’s see.
Jon Wertheim: I’m wearing this jacket.
Caitlin Clark: Oh.
Jon Wertheim: Uh, terrible.
Caitlin Clark: That’s not bad. Get it there.
Jon Wertheim: Oh my god.
Caitlin Clark: You got to jump.
Jon Wertheim: Tight rims.
Jon Wertheim: I’m tellin’ you.
Caitlin Clark: No. (laugh) I think that might just be you, honestly.
Produced by Nathalie Sommer. Associate producer, Kaylee Tully. Broadcast associate, Elizabeth Germino. Edited by Craig Crawford.
It’s been a year unlike any the WNBA has seen. Players Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier, and Aliyah Boston talk about sold-out arenas and the physicality of the league.
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Eight of the 12 WNBA teams make the playoffs and are seeded from one to eight, regardless of conference.
The regular season came to a close on Thursday night with all 12 teams in action. While some squads already knew where they stood heading into the playoffs, there were still some matters to be decided on the final day and storylines everywhere you looked.
Diana Taurasi addresses Mercury crowd after possibly her final regular season game ever
The Phoenix Mercury fell to the Seattle Storm 89-70 on Thursday, but much off the attention was focused on what happened after the buzzer.
Diana Taurasi, widely considered to be one of the best women’s basketball players of all time, addressed the Phoenix crowd on the court after what was possibly her final regular season game ever.
The 42-year-old was drafted first overall by the Mercury in 2004 and has spent her entire WNBA career with the franchise. She is a former MVP, a three-time WNBA champion, six-time EuroLeague champion, six-time Olympic champion, an 11-time WNBA All-Star and the league’s all-time leading scorer.
It has been speculated that this will be Taurasi’s final season as an active player. While the rumors are still unconfirmed, she delivered an emotional speech to the adoring home faithful.
“There’s really no place to start, but there’s always a place to finish,” she said. “It seems to be the same place, which, as you guys know, when I got here in 2004, I kinda knew I was going to be here for a long time. I had a feeling that this was home in a strange and mysterious way.
“I want to thank every single coach, every single player, every single person that’s put on a WNBA jersey because it takes a village and our league is about uplifting each other and, in return, to see where we are now, 28 years later, for the ones who played before, this league is where it is now, we’re thankful for you guys, and we’re thankful for the next generation.
“If it is the last time, it felt like the first time,” she added.
Taurasi will get at least one more opportunity to perform in front of the home crowd – the seventh-seeded Mercury will take on the No. 2 Minnesota Lynx in a best-of-three first round playoff series.
Record crowd in attendance for Caitlin Clark’s final rookie regular season game
This season has seen record highs in attendance and viewership, continuing right until the end of the regular season.
20,711 fans packed into Capital One Arena in Washington DC as the Mystics defeated the Indiana Fever, 92-91, making it the highest-attended WNBA game ever.
After breaking the single-season assist record earlier this month, transcendent rookie Caitlin Clark entered the game eight three-pointers shy of the single-season record of 128 set by Sabrina Ionescu in 2023.
Though Clark didn’t catch Ionescu’s tally in the game – she played just under 20 minutes with the 20-20 Fever having already secured the sixth seed – she made two triples to take her total to 122, passing Taurasi for second place.
Indiana’s return to the playoffs for the first time since 2016 marks an incredible turnaround for the team. The franchise found itself 3-10 to open the season, but caught fire after the Olympic break to claw its way back to .500 and secure a spot in the postseason.
“Just really proud of their growth, their resiliency,” Fever head coach Christie Sides said after the game. “They went to work, they got better. We didn’t have the time early, but they just kept getting better as the season progressed.
“They deserve the opportunity to play in these playoffs.”
The Mystics came into the game as the ninth seed, knowing that they would have to win to give themselves a chance of making the postseason. The game got off to the worst possible start for Washington, falling into a 20-2 deficit, but it mounted a huge comeback to steal the win.
Sika Koné led the way with 20 points and four other Mystics players scored in double figures in the crucial victory, but a playoff berth simply wasn’t to be, as the Atlanta Dream took the matter out of Washington’s hands.
Tina Charles makes history as Dream clinch final playoff spot
The Dream edged out the Mystics for the eighth seed with a 78-67 win over the New York Liberty, with center Tina Charles etching her name into the record books in the process.
Charles, a former league MVP and an eight-time All-Star, pulled down her third rebound of the game in the first quarter to become the all-time WNBA rebounding leader with 4,007 boards, passing Sylvia Fowles for top spot.
Her record-breaking performance could not have come at a better time for Atlanta, which needed a lift heading into Thursday’s matchup on the road. The Dream entered the matchup as the eighth seed but had the Mystics hot on their heels only one game behind, and knew that only a win would guarantee a postseason berth.
According to Charles, however, the outcome was never in doubt.
“We came here with our bags packed,” said the 35-year-old postgame. “We knew we’d take care of business. For us, honestly, the playoffs had started maybe like a week ago just because of the situation that we had been in.”
Charles also ended the game with 10 points and 10 rebounds to record her 194th career double-double, the most by any player in league history. Fowles was also the previous holder of this record.
The matchup also served as a playoff preview: Atlanta will take on the first-seeded Liberty in the first round of the postseason.
New York had already wrapped up the No. 1 spot prior to Thursday’s game, so it remains to be seen how the squad will fare against a revitalized Dream group when the season is on the line.
Caitlin Clark added another milestone to her historic rookie campaign, breaking the WNBA single-season assists record in the Indiana Fever’s 78-74 loss to the Las Vegas Aces on Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.Video above: Central Alabama basketball player goes viral singing in front of his coaches and teammatesClark entered the game needing just four assists to match the previous record of 316 set by Connecticut Sun guard Alyssa Thomas in 2023. She set the new mark in the second quarter on an inbounds pass to teammate Kelsey Mitchell, who drove to the paint and knocked down the bucket.Clark finished the game with 18 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, while Mitchell led Indiana with 20 points in the loss.The accomplishment adds to the 2024 No. 1 pick’s historic season, which includes setting the WNBA’s single-game assist record with 19 against the Dallas Wings in July and the rookie assists record last month. Clark has also become the first rookie to record a triple-double and holds the most 3-pointers made by a rookie in league history.Indiana trailed 43-35 at halftime before Clark caught fire in the third quarter, scoring 14 points and bringing the Fever to within three points. After Damiris Dantas made a 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 60-60, the Aces broke out on a 9-2 run to pad their lead.The Fever had an opportunity to tie the game with under 20 seconds left in the game, but Fever star Aliyah Boston missed the 3-point attempt. Aces guard Chelsea Gray made a pair of free throws on the ensuing possession to put the game out of reach.Aces star A’ja Wilson, fresh off of setting the WNBA’s single-season scoring record Wednesday, finished with 15 points and 17 rebounds in the victory, while Gray added 21 points and six assists.After the game, Clark was asked about her record-setting night, as well as Wilson’s and Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese’s milestones this season.“I think it definitely just speaks to the whole entire year and how historic it has been for this league and how great the basketball has been for the league,” Clark said.“You know we’re not even to the playoffs yet; I think that’s what is so fun about it is you’re just going to continue to see records be taken down, but also, I think, really good basketball, and that’s why it’s been so fun to watch, that’s why the fans have been showing up, the viewership has been absolutely crushed this year,” she added.“I think everybody is just kind of raising their game, the competition is just getting better and better, and it’s fun as a competitor to show up in this league every night and know you have to bring your best because you know whoever is on the other side of the court from you, they’re going to bring their best and that’s what makes it fun,” Clark said. “It’s been cool to watch everybody really take a step up and elevate, and to be a part of that has been really fun for myself, too.”Though the Fever fell short to the Aces for a second straight game, they remain in sixth place in the standings and have already secured a spot in the playoffs. Indiana will face Dallas on Sunday before wrapping up the regular season against the Washington Mystics on Sept. 19.
Caitlin Clark added another milestone to her historic rookie campaign, breaking the WNBA single-season assists record in the Indiana Fever’s 78-74 loss to the Las Vegas Aces on Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Video above: Central Alabama basketball player goes viral singing in front of his coaches and teammates
Clark entered the game needing just four assists to match the previous record of 316 set by Connecticut Sun guard Alyssa Thomas in 2023. She set the new mark in the second quarter on an inbounds pass to teammate Kelsey Mitchell, who drove to the paint and knocked down the bucket.
Clark finished the game with 18 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, while Mitchell led Indiana with 20 points in the loss.
The accomplishment adds to the 2024 No. 1 pick’s historic season, which includes setting the WNBA’s single-game assist record with 19 against the Dallas Wings in July and the rookie assists record last month. Clark has also become the first rookie to record a triple-double and holds the most 3-pointers made by a rookie in league history.
Indiana trailed 43-35 at halftime before Clark caught fire in the third quarter, scoring 14 points and bringing the Fever to within three points. After Damiris Dantas made a 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 60-60, the Aces broke out on a 9-2 run to pad their lead.
The Fever had an opportunity to tie the game with under 20 seconds left in the game, but Fever star Aliyah Boston missed the 3-point attempt. Aces guard Chelsea Gray made a pair of free throws on the ensuing possession to put the game out of reach.
Aces star A’ja Wilson, fresh off of setting the WNBA’s single-season scoring record Wednesday, finished with 15 points and 17 rebounds in the victory, while Gray added 21 points and six assists.
After the game, Clark was asked about her record-setting night, as well as Wilson’s and Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese’s milestones this season.
“I think it definitely just speaks to the whole entire year and how historic it has been for this league and how great the basketball has been for the league,” Clark said.
“You know we’re not even to the playoffs yet; I think that’s what is so fun about it is you’re just going to continue to see records be taken down, but also, I think, really good basketball, and that’s why it’s been so fun to watch, that’s why the fans have been showing up, the viewership has been absolutely crushed this year,” she added.
“I think everybody is just kind of raising their game, the competition is just getting better and better, and it’s fun as a competitor to show up in this league every night and know you have to bring your best because you know whoever is on the other side of the court from you, they’re going to bring their best and that’s what makes it fun,” Clark said. “It’s been cool to watch everybody really take a step up and elevate, and to be a part of that has been really fun for myself, too.”
Though the Fever fell short to the Aces for a second straight game, they remain in sixth place in the standings and have already secured a spot in the playoffs. Indiana will face Dallas on Sunday before wrapping up the regular season against the Washington Mystics on Sept. 19.
A general overall aerial view of the Chase Center on December 31, 2023 in San Francisco, California.
Kirby Lee | Getty Images
JPMorgan Chase has signed a multiyear sponsorship deal to be the first founding partner of Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA’s next expansion team.
The agreement will see the Chase Freedom logo appear as the Valkyries’ jersey patch when the team begins play in 2025. Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, owners of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, paid a $50 million expansion fee to land the rights to a team in California’s Bay Area in October 2023.
The multi-year deal is valued as a seven-figure investment, making it one of the largest jersey patch deals in the WNBA, according to industry sources. While the Valkyries’ jersey has not been revealed yet, the deal will see the Chase Freedom logo appear on the left shoulder of both the home and away jerseys. Both the Valkyries and Chase declined to comment on deal terms.
Jess Smith, president of the Golden State Valkyries, said as the team was looking to secure a sponsor for one of its key assets, finding a partner that “wanted to enhance our fan experience” was critical. Chase has been a long-term partner of the Warriors, signing a 20-year deal for the naming rights to the team’s arena in 2016 worth at least a reported $300 million, then the largest naming rights deal in the NBA. The Valkyries will also play its games at the Chase Center, located in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood.
“This isn’t just a billboard – when someone sees Chase and the Valkyries together, I want them to know why,” Smith said.
Carla Hassan, JPMorgan Chase chief marketing officer, said that the Bay Area is a “priority market” for the financial services company, with more than 5,000 employees and two million customers in the region, presenting another opportunity to build on the work it’s already doing with the Warriors and the arena.
This particular deal will also help Chase further elevate the Freedom brand, with a focus around empowering small businesses and driving financial literacy in the community, Hassan said.
While JPMorgan Chase has a vast sports sponsorship portfolio that includes naming rights deals with MLS’s Inter Miami and MLB’s Arizona Diamondbacks as well as significant sponsorships with Madison Square Garden and the U.S. Open, among others, Hassan said partnering with a WNBA team “was a really good opportunity for us.”
“There is no denying the growth of women’s sports right now,” Hassan said, noting that the company has long been a sponsor of female athletes and women’s sporting events and recently provided financing for NWSL club Kansas City Current’s new stadium, the first stadium built specifically for a professional women’s team. “We’re excited to work with the Valkyries to really continue to drive this meteoric rise we’re seeing right now.”
The WNBA has played a huge role in that growth and has benefited from it as well. At the league’s halfway point in July, viewership was up 67% and on pace to be the most-watched regular season since 2002. Attendance was up 27% year-over-year, on pace to be the highest average attendance since 2018. Partnership revenue is up double digits year-over-year and is at an all-time-high, while merchandise sales have surged thanks to the popularity of new players like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, as well as established stars like A’ja Wilson and Sabrina Ionescu.
“We are outperforming every single metric,” Colie Edison, chief growth officer for the WNBA, told CNBC in July.
The Valkyries, the WNBA’s first expansion team since 2008, have not only tapped into that growth, but also the popularity of basketball in the Bay Area.
Smith said the team already has more than 17,000 season ticket deposits, which is a record for a U.S. women’s sports team before its first season. Chase Center can seat around 18,000 fans. The Valkyries are also seeing strong demand for merchandise, even though the team has only released its logo and has no players yet.
“The W right now is unstoppable,” Smith said. “I truly believe this league will be one of the most powerful sports leagues in the world.”
In the build-up to the WNBA’s return after the Olympic Games, Caitlin Clark said she had been ready to get going again for a while.In Friday’s matchup against the Phoenix Mercury, the star rookie looked like she’d never been away as the 22-year-old lit up the game with another standout performance.Clark led the Indiana Fever to an important 98-89 win against the Mercury as the Fever began their push for a place in the playoffs.Contributing her 10th double-double of this season, Clark scored a team-high 29 points and added 10 assists and five rebounds in an all-round performance.“It was pretty fun. I think we came out with a lot of energy, it’s just continuing to find a way to sustain that,” Clark said to reporters postgame on returning to the court during the Fever’s hot start.Indiana led Phoenix 33-16 after the first quarter, during which time Clark scored 13 points, and 54-37 at halftime.While the Mercury battled back, led by Olympic gold medal winner Kahleah Copper’s game-high 32 points, the Fever did enough to secure a crucial win.Alongside Clark, Kelsey Mitchell put up 28 points as the backcourt duo got the Fever over the line.“We’re trying to do these last 14 (games) as just one game at a time, just take it one game at a time,” Clark told reporters postgame.“I thought we came out in the first quarter and really set the tone but for us its just one game at a time.”Fever head coach Christie Sides issued a similar sentiment postgame.“I really have just been preaching (to) my staff, just find a way to only focus our energy on the next play which is the next game. We aren’t in a position yet to look ahead, we can’t look at what other people are doing. We’ve got to focus on us and our habits and us just improving every game.”
In the build-up to the WNBA’s return after the Olympic Games, Caitlin Clark said she had been ready to get going again for a while.
In Friday’s matchup against the Phoenix Mercury, the star rookie looked like she’d never been away as the 22-year-old lit up the game with another standout performance.
Clark led the Indiana Fever to an important 98-89 win against the Mercury as the Fever began their push for a place in the playoffs.
Contributing her 10th double-double of this season, Clark scored a team-high 29 points and added 10 assists and five rebounds in an all-round performance.
“It was pretty fun. I think we came out with a lot of energy, it’s just continuing to find a way to sustain that,” Clark said to reporters postgame on returning to the court during the Fever’s hot start.
Indiana led Phoenix 33-16 after the first quarter, during which time Clark scored 13 points, and 54-37 at halftime.
While the Mercury battled back, led by Olympic gold medal winner Kahleah Copper’s game-high 32 points, the Fever did enough to secure a crucial win.
Alongside Clark, Kelsey Mitchell put up 28 points as the backcourt duo got the Fever over the line.
“We’re trying to do these last 14 (games) as just one game at a time, just take it one game at a time,” Clark told reporters postgame.
“I thought we came out in the first quarter and really set the tone but for us its just one game at a time.”
Fever head coach Christie Sides issued a similar sentiment postgame.
“I really have just been preaching (to) my staff, just find a way to only focus our energy on the next play which is the next game. We aren’t in a position yet to look ahead, we can’t look at what other people are doing. We’ve got to focus on us and our habits and us just improving every game.”
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese will join forces Saturday as a team of WNBA All-Stars battle the USA Basketball Women’s National Team. Women’s basketball analyst and insider Khristina Williams joined CBS News to discuss the game.
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Caitlin Clark Becomes First Rookie To Earn Triple-Double
Clark’s records clearly aren’t stopping at the collegiate level. The 22-year-old is etching her name in the WNBA history books after capturing her first triple-double in her rookie season. Caitlin finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 assists as the Indiana team broke a nine-game losing streak at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Clark almost captured the record two games ago in an 88-82 road victory over the Phoenix Mercury. The WNBA No. 1 draft pick had 11 points in the first quarter, making 3 of 4 from 3-point range. Caitlin topped double figures in assists in the third quarter and passed the 10-rebound mark in the fourth.
ESPN reports Clark’s long list of records. During her Senior year with the Iowa Hawkeyes, Caitlin was named the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year. She became the school’s all-time leading scorer and achieved the most 30-point games by a male or female on the Division 1 level in the past 25 seasons. She was also named the Big Ten Tournament’s Outstanding Player. Furthermore, Clark became the leading scorer at the Big Ten and the first D1 women’s athlete to score at least 1,000 points in two seasons. Moreover, she racked up the most points in a single season in D1 women’s history.
Angel Reese Nearing Candace Parker’s Record As A Rookie
As previously reported by The Shade Room,Chicago Sky player Angel Reese became the first rookie to score seven straight double-doubles. However, as of Friday (July 5), she hit her 12th consecutive as she brought the heat against the Seattle Storm, per Bleacher Report. Angel tied Candace Parker’s record. The Windy City team won the game 88-84. The retired player earned her record during the 2009-10 season.
The girls are out here grinding! Congrats, Caitlin!
Caitlin Clark is making headlines as the WNBA’s newest star, but there’s more to her story than just her incredible skills on the court. While basketball fans are watching to see how the Indiana Fever’s top draft pick performs in the pros, many are also curious about her life off the court—especially her relationship with her boyfriend, Connor McCaffery.
But let’s rewind for a minute. In case you’ve been living under a rock, Caitlin Clark is basically the new LeBron James of women’s basketball. The point guard became a household name during her college career at the University of Iowa, breaking records left and right. She wowed audiences with her scoring ability and court vision, eventually becoming the all-time leading scorer in NCAA women’s basketball history. No big deal, right?
So, when the WNBA draft rolled around in 2024, it was no shocker that the Indiana Fever snagged her with the first pick. Now, everyone’s waiting to see how she’ll dominate the pros like she owned college ball.
But while Clark’s been busy becoming a basketball legend, she’s also been building a relationship with someone who understands the game inside and out. Enter Connor McCaffery, her boyfriend and fellow baller. If you’re curious about the guy who’s dating basketball’s newest superstar, stick around, because we’re about to dive into all the details on Clark’s off-court MVP.
Who is Caitlin Clark’s boyfriend?
Connor McCaffery with his dad and head coach, Fran McCafferey. Image: Alex Slitz/Getty Images.
Caitlin Clark’s other half is Connor McCaffery, and he’s no stranger to the basketball world. Like Clark, McCaffery played college ball for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes.
He’s not just about basketball, though. This guy’s got brains to match his athletic skills: McCaffery graduated from Iowa in 2023 with not one, but two bachelor’s degrees in finance and political science. During his time at Iowa, McCaffery was a standout both on and off the court. He earned his team’s Academic Excellence Award for five seasons and was named a five-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
After college, McCaffery landed a gig with the NBA’s Indiana Pacers as a team assistant. His approach to the job? “All-hands on deck,” as he told the Des Moines Register. “I’ll play dummy defense, run the scout team, help coaches on film stuff, help on video projects if they need, scouting reports if they need,” he explained. “Whatever you’re asked to do, be ready to do it.”
Basketball runs deep in McCaffery’s family. His dad, Fran McCaffery, is actually the head basketball coach at the University of Iowa. Fran’s been coaching since 1983 and is currently in his 28th season as a head coach. Now,McCaffery’s got his sights set on a coaching career, following in his father’s footsteps.
“It’s a way in,” Connor told the Des Moines Register about his current job. “It’s an entry-level job. You’ve got to work hard and work your way up. That’s obviously what I want to do.”
How did Caitlin Clark and Connor McCaffery meet?
It turns out that Clark and McCaffery’s love story has a classic “friends first” beginning. The basketball world might be small, but in this case, it was McCaffery’s younger brother, Patrick, who played matchmaker—albeit unintentionally.
“We were always friends,” McCaffery shared in an interview with the Times-Union. “She was friends with Patrick. I was friends with her. Our teams hung out together. We had good relationships with the women’s team and we just eventually started hanging out.”
So, it seems Clark and McCaffery’s paths crossed naturally during their time in Iowa’s basketball program—and the fact that both the men’s and women’s teams socialized together created the perfect environment for their friendship to blossom into something more.
McCaffery seems to view their transition from friends to partners as pretty natural. As he put it, “it was just kind of easy how it all worked out.”
When did Caitlin Clark & Connor McCaffrey start dating?
Clark and McCaffery’s love story officially kicked off in April 2023, but they kept things on the down-low for a while. They made it Instagram official four months later when Clark posted a cozy boat pic with McCaffery, along with the caption, “Best end to summer.”
Since then, the pair have been pretty open about their relationship on social media. On their first anniversary in April 2024, Clark shared a sweet black and white photo, writing: “One year of the best mems w my fav person 🖤 you make everyday better and I can’t wait for many more adventures together… love you 🤞🏻😇.”
McCaffery’s response was equally heartwarming. He posted his own anniversary tribute, saying, “doing life w u has been easy, and you never cease to amaze me.. can’t wait to watch u live out ur dreams in person 🤞🏼 love you ❤️”
The couple has been supportive of each other’s achievements throughout their relationship. On Clark’s 22nd birthday in January 2024, McCaffery also posted a heartfelt tribute: “Happy Birthday 22. Wish I was there to celebrate with you – you deserve the best day. Golden Bday/T Swift year will be the best yet,” he wrote. “With all that you’ve already accomplished, there is so much more in store for you and your special self. I admire you in every way and I love you.”
His prediction about “so much more in store” for Clark proved accurate. Just a month later, she became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA women’s basketball history, surpassing Kelsey Plum’s 3,527 points. When Clark broke the scoring record, McCaffery was right there cheering her on via social media, along with other sports legends.
As Clark transitions to her professional career with the Indiana Fever, it’s clear she’s got a solid support system in McCaffery. He understands the demands of high-level basketball and seems ready to cheer her on every step of the way. There’s nothing like having a fan both on and off the court!
