Caitlin Clark Brings Chicago Sky Fans to Tears on Sunday
Caitlin Clark did not play against the Chicago Sky on Sunday, but she still brought tears of joy to the fans who packed United Center to see her when the Indiana Fever came to town.
Caitlin Clark Goes Above and Beyond for Fans in Chicago
According to play-by-play voice Ryan Ruocco on the ABC broadcast, Clark signed more than 200 autographs before the game tipped off.
Local reporter Kylen Mills added that it took the Fever star at least 20 minutes to traverse two-thirds of the arena as she attempted to create memories for the Midwestern fans. Security tried to stop Clark's autograph session, but the 23-year-old refused.
Nobody appreciated it more than these two young fans wearing Sky shirts who put their WNBA allegiance aside to get Clark to sign the Iowa Hawkeyes shirts they adorably smuggled in.
Caitlin Clark Understands Her Impact on WNBA
For many fans in the Midwest — even the Sky's local fan base — this was the best opportunity to see Clark play this season. Chicago is two hours closer to Iowa City than Indianapolis, making it a more realistic trip for fans from the state where Clark grew up and gained her massive following at University of Iowa.
The Sky moved the game from 10,000-seat Wintrust Arena to the 23,500-seat United Center in anticipation of the fans' demand to see Clark play against Angel Reese and the Sky.
The last time the Fever played in United Center on June 7, it set the franchise single-game attendance record with 19,496 fans packed in the Chicago Bulls' home arena. Sunday's attendance of 19,601 set a new record, even without Clark and Reese playing.
The Fever lead the WNBA in average road attendance by more than 5,000 over second-place Las Vegas Aces, and Sunday gave another example of Clark embracing the love with open arms.
"(Clark) understands the responsibility that she has," WNBA legend Rebecca Lobo said with admiration on the broadcast, "and she loves growing the game in that way."This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Seahawks rookie Elijah Arroyo's eye-poking short-shorts have the gays spiraling
On August 3, Seattle Seahawks rookie Elijah Arroyo unintentionally went viral after an interview following a training camp, where he discussed the banter between himself and fellow rookie Nick Emmanwori. While the tight end answered the questions with grace, his tight short shorts left us all feeling a little…distracted. Immediately, the internet does what it does best: Unleashed the thirst. from Seahawks Fans on Reddit had plenty to say about the interview. One quipped that there 'won't be any more tight ends when he gets to work.' Others, being a little more upfront with comments, simply stated, 'Raw. Next question.' He also made a splash on X, with some people saying he was 'blessed by God' and others saying he and 'his 3rd leg are gonna have a great year.' Respectfully, no lies detected. Other fans let Elijah know when they were free in hopes of getting together. Even Grok had something to say about it after a fan asked what was 'by his groin area inside his underwear.' Grok answered, 'The visible outline in Elijah Arroyo's groin area is likely just his anatomy, accentuated by the tight shorts. That's the awkward detail driving the video's virality.' In response to another question about the clip's virality, Grok said it was 'due to his unusually tight, short shorts revealing a prominent bulge,' and we couldn't have put it more eloquently. While some people had to wipe the drool off their chins others accused the NFL of 'staging thirst traps.' Obsessed or not, Arroyo also has a job to do moving forward into the season. On Thursday, August 7, the Seahawks will begin their preseason slate against the Las Vegas Raiders. The match also features the new Las Vegas head coach, Pete Carroll, as well as former Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith. If Arroyo's preseason performance matches the stats fans are already assigning him, Seattle just drafted a weapon no defense can cover. Either way, defenders and viewers should probably keep their eyes open. This article originally appeared on Pride: Seahawks rookie Elijah Arroyo's eye-poking short-shorts have the gays spiraling
Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Yankees reportedly sign pitcher Kenta Maeda, recently released by Cubs, to minor-league contract
Seeking to add potential starting pitching depth, the New York Yankees have reportedly signed Kenta Maeda to a minor-league contract. Maeda and the Yankees were in discussions on a possible deal, the New York Post's Jon Heyman reports. Independent journalist Yuki Yamada followed up with a report that the two sides agreed to a contract. The right-hander, 37, was designated for assignment by the Detroit Tigers in May after seven appearances in which he compiled a 7.86 ERA with eight strikeouts in eight innings. Maeda signed a two-year, $24 million contract with the Tigers before the 2024 season. But he'd been demoted to the bullpen during the 2024 season while accumulating a 6.09 ERA and 3-7 record. Maeda had signed with the Chicago Cubs and was pitching for their Triple-A Iowa affiliate. But he was released by the Cubs this past weekend, according to In 12 starts with Iowa, Maeda registered a 6.12 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 57 1/3 innings. Signing Maeda comes after the Yankees released veteran Marcus Stroman last week after he posted a 6.23 ERA in nine starts. The team added relievers David Bednar, Camilo Doval and Jake Bird (along with to utilityman José Caballero) before Thursday's MLB trade deadline, but did not acquire a starting pitcher. The Yankees were moving forward with a starting rotation of Max Fried, Carlos Rodón and Luis Gil, with rookies Will Warren and Cam Schlittler at the back end. However, Gil looked very much like a work in progress in his first start of the season on Sunday after returning from a lat strain. Facing the Miami Marlins, last year's AL Rookie of the Year gave up five runs on five hits and four walks. That performance may have compelled the Yankees to bring in some additional depth as Gil essentially goes through a spring training-type of preparation in August. Maeda is in his ninth MLB season after pitching nine years for Hiroshima in the Japan Central League. He pitched four seasons for the Los Angeles Dodgers before being traded to the Minnesota Twins, with whom he finished second in AL Cy Young Award voting during the 2020 COVID-shortened season. For his career, Maeda has a 4.20 ERA, averaging 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings with a 68-56 record.
Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
John Schneider: Noah Fant was a "pure cap casaulty"
As training camp opened, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald declined to delve into the reasons for the decision to release veteran tight end Noah Fant. On Monday, Seahawks G.M. John Schneider disclosed the one reason for the move. Appearing on Seattle Sports, Schenider said Fant was a "pure cap casualty." "He works his tail off, he can run," Schneider said regarding Fant, via Michael-Shawn Dugar of "He's a good tight end and he'll have a a very nice productive year this year. We just felt like — in getting back to what I was saying about doing what's best for the organization — we were at a point where we were just saying to ourselves, 'OK, you know, can we — unfortunately, you have to look at things like this — like can we use that cash to help our team in a different manner? And are we OK at that position? And are we covered there? And while we never feel like we're totally covered, you know, guys did have very strong springs." And that's how it often goes with older, more expensive players. The Seahawks could have welcomed Fant to camp, gotten him ready for the season, and then asked him to take a pay cut when it otherwise would be too late to land elsewhere. Instead, they made a clean break. It gave him a chance to land with a new team. And he has landed with the Bengals. It wasn't a completely selfless move. The Seahawks risked owing him $8.49 million in salary this year, if he had suffered a season-ending injury during camp. They cleared that cash and cap obligation by moving on before camp opened.
