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By Wheat Hotchkiss | FeverBasketball.com

If the atmosphere at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the Indiana Fever’s home preseason game on Thursday night is any indication of what it will be like during the regular season, this season promises to be special.

Over 13,000 fans were on hand for Thursday’s exhibition against the Atlanta Dream. The game might not have counted in the standings, but the two teams delivered a competitive contest that came down to the wire, with the Fever locking down and getting a defensive stop on the final possession to hold on for an 83-80 win.

It was an early preview of what promises to be the new normal for the Fever this season, with attendance set to skyrocket to see the Fever and rookie guard Caitlin Clark, the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. Thursday’s game was the first time Clark, who turned pro after a storied college career at the University of Iowa, took the floor at Gainbridge Fieldhouse as a professional.

“It was a lot of fun,” Clark said. “I thought they were loud, I thought they were into it. It was fun to see some people in some Iowa stuff and then a lot of people in Fever gear. This is a preseason game on a Thursday night and there’s 13,000 people here. I think that just shows what it’s going to be like for us all season. It’s going to help us. These are going to be games at home that you’re going to need to win…It’s pretty incredible. 13,000 for a preseason game is pretty unheard of.”

On the court, the Fever got off to a rocky start defensively, as the Dream scored 45 points in less than 15 minutes in the first half. Head coach Christie Sides was displeased with her team’s transition defense to start the game, but to their credit, the Fever buckled down from there, limiting the Dream to just four points over the final 5:12 of the first half and then just 31 in the second half.

Offensively, the Fever should have plenty of firepower this season. They’ve added Clark to a roster that already includes All-Star center and the reigning Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston and All-Star guard Kelsey Mitchell (who has not played in the preseason due to an ankle injury). While those three players have received plenty of attention, NaLyssa Smith — the second overall pick in 2022 — has flown somewhat under the radar. But Smith has reminded everyone over Indiana’s two preseason contests just how talented she is and appears poised for a breakout season.

Smith tallied 20 points and five rebounds, going 5-for-13 from the field and 10-for-13 from the free throw line in last Friday’s exhibition at Dallas, then followed up with a team-high 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting (2-of-4 from 3-point range) and six boards on Thursday against Atlanta.

“Playing with confidence,” Smith said of her strong showing the preseason. “Just (taking) what the defense gives me, driving. One of my main things was just getting to the basket a lot more this year. With such great players, it spreads the floor for me so I have the opportunity to drive, to shoot. That’s my main focus.”

After scoring 21 points in Dallas, Clark tallied 12 points against the Dream. Her outside shot wasn’t falling at its usual rate (she went just 2-for-9 from 3-point range), but she still was able to impact the game in several ways, grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out six assists. It’s already become clear that her presence is going to open up so much for her teammates on the offensive end.

“Everybody’s going to focus on the scoring aspect, but she’s getting her teammates open,” Smith said. “She’s getting us open shots and letting us get to the rim. Everybody’s so focused on her, it’s giving us open opportunities and she’s passing the hell out of the ball.”

Ahead of Tuesday’s season opener at Connecticut, Sides said there’s still plenty of things for her team to work on. In addition to cleaning up the defense, she noted that she wants the Fever’s bigs to be running the floor and looking to score more around the rim to take advantage of Clark’s gifts as a passer. Sides has also tasked Clark with making decisions quicker in terms of whether to shoot or pass instead of holding the ball longer like she had grown accustomed to in college.

Clark said she’s learned quickly that “you can’t take a second off” at the WNBA level because of how skilled and athletic everyone in the league is. Barely a month ago, she was playing in the Final Four at Iowa. Now, she’s about to tip off her first season as professional.

“The biggest thing for me is just continuing to stack days and continuing to learn,” Clark said. “Learned in the first game, learned here. The turnaround’s quick. We’re going to play seven games in 12 days. We’re traveling, we’re on the road a lot. There’s no time to mess around. You better be ready to go. But this is the challenge I signed up for. I’m excited.”

After opening the season in Connecticut, the Fever will host the New York Liberty on Thursday, May 16 for their home opener. Clark said she expects “a packed house,” while Sides — who is in her second year as the Fever’s head coach — raved about the audience for the preseason game against Atlanta.

“It’s exciting,” Sides said. “I don’t remember a crowd like that all last year. It creates a vibe in there…We’ll take it all the time. I will play in front of those fans every night.”

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