Caitlin Clark is relieved her move will be a short one, from Iowa to Indiana.
"I'm not like a huge big city girl," the basketball star told reporters Wednesday during her introductory news conference with the Indiana Fever. "So, I feel like this is the perfect spot for myself, a place that loves basketball."
A lot more people love basketball these days thanks to Clark, the No. 1 pick in Monday's WNBA draft who helped elevate the women's game during her record-breaking college career at Iowa.
She'll look to continue taking the game to new heights while wearing her new No. 22 Fever uniform, which she put on for the first time.
That jersey helped Clark set her first record as a member of the WNBA. Sportswear retailer Fanatics announced that her jersey sold out, making it the top-selling jersey ever for a draft pick.
So, fans might have to wait a little longer to get a Clark jersey of their own.
Nearly 17,000 fans attended a draft-watch party at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indiana on Monday to see the Fever make one of the easiest draft picks in sports history. That could be an indication for the spike in ticket sales that can be expected this season for the Fever, a team that was second-to-last in home attendance last season with 4,067 fans per game.
"I was hoping Indiana got the first pick, it made my life a lot better," Clark said Wednesday. "So, I was pretty excited. I was just ready for a new challenge in my life.”
Clark received a hero's welcome in Indiana on Wednesday, entering the facility on on a red carpet to a standing ovation from teammates and team employees. She will join last season's No. 1 pick and Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston to attempt to end the Fever's seven-year-playoff drought.
“It's not all about me,” Clark said. “It's not everything I have to do, and when I've been able to understand that, it's allowed me to play my best. I think it's just using your resources, asking questions, knowing everything's not going to be perfect and giving myself a little grace. I'm definitely a perfectionist, but I'm at my best when I allow myself to have a little grace and not expect everything to go exactly how it should.”
Clark is set to make her regular-season debut on May 14 on the road against the Connecticut Sun. Her home debut comes on May 18 against the New York Liberty.
Until training camp begins, she'll be making the short trip back home to Iowa.
"People might think I'm crazy for wanting to stay in the Midwest," Clark said. "But that's just who I am. That's where my roots are."
