Caitlin Clark put the brakes on Atlanta's dream in front of a sold-out crowd

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It took a little while to get going, but the WNBA is starting to officially become the Caitlin Clark Show.

Friday evening, Clark’s Indiana Fever defeated the Atlanta Dream 91-79 in front of a sold-out State Farm Arena. They filled more than 17,500 seats for this game in a stadium that usually hosts the Atlanta Hawks. Clark wowed the massive crowd, scoring 16 points and seven assists.

Clark’s seven assists were another WNBA record in her young career. She became the third-fastest player since Sue Bird to reach 100 assists. She is the fastest player in WNBA history with 250 points and 100 assists.

Despite a few tough games during his rookie season, it seems like Clark’s game is translating in a way that haters said it wouldn’t. And that translates to sold-out, record-breaking crowds.

The early learning curve associated with so much focus on the WNBA Clark-related drama, including serious misconduct, Olympic snubs and jealous opponents did not slow her down. Instead, it seemingly only fueled his fire.

Even though there are a plethora of detractors and naysayers online, these sellout crowds are undeniable. Other WNBA rookies like Angel Reese have been impressive and also deserve some credit for this season’s success. But no one generates that kind of buzz.

The WNBA has never seen anything like it. Instead of playing in their typical College Park gym, the Dream literally had to move this game to an NBA facility to keep up with demand. Predictably, it was a franchise attendance record that had nothing to do with the home team.

THE economic impact on the cities that welcome Clark is also starting to be felt. More and more people are flooding these towns and city centers to watch her play.

After playing only 17 WNBA games, Clark is No. 2 in All-Star fan voting. Las Vegas Aces Star A’ja Wilson is the deserved leader with nearly 18,000 votes. But Clark’s popularity can’t be denied, as she’s already racked up over 216,000 votes, more than stars like Brianna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu.

The Fever are still just 7-10, three games behind .500. It at least appears statistically that Clark has already turned a corner in his rookie season. But there is still work to be done. And you can be sure that Clark will find a way to make his team a winner.

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