Another WNBA team has changed venues to welcome Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever this season.
The Altanta Dream will host their first game of the WNBA season on May 22 at the State Farm Arena against the Fever due to a scheduling conflict, but fans believe that isn’t the real reason why.
The Dream’s official home is the Gateway Center Arena in College Park.
It holds 3,500 people for basketball games and is one of the smallest arenas in the WNBA.
The reason behind the switch to the bigger State Farm Arena, which holds 17,000 people, is due to a scheduling conflict, according to the team.
“We have invested significant resources and energy into making Gateway Center Arena the most unique home-court experience in the WNBA,” Gottesdiener said in a statement.
“However, due to a scheduling conflict at Gateway, we saw an opportunity to bring this exciting early-season matchup to State Farm Arena, allowing even more fans to experience it. We appreciate the hospitality.”
When the move was announced, fans were quick to dismiss the reason given as they believe it’s actually a result of Clark’s popularity that a bigger venue is being used.
Indiana Fever games generally bring high ticket demand and therefore WNBA teams have often opted to move to bigger venues to satisfy that interest.
The Washington Mystics, Las Vegas Aces, and Chicago Sky have all already announced bigger venues for their games against the Fever this season.
The fact the official reason has been given as a scheduling conflict and not an acknowledgement of the ticket demand has drawn the ire of certain fans online, who simply want Clark to be given her flowers for having such a positive impact on the sport.
“The way I just…. “scheduling conflict” okay sir,” one fan wrote on X.
“You moved it cause of the other team, LOL. CC fans everywhere,” another fan said.
“Motion detected. That CC Effect is the real deal,” another fan said.
“The other teams don’t want to acknowledge the singular impact Clark is having on WNBA growth, to a level that is often somewhere between disrespectful & delusional. But when it comes time to bring in the $$$, suddenly these same folks want every $ Clark’s fans can spend,” one fan posted on X.
The offical statement by the Dream is even more bewildering considering this is not the first time they’ve moved venues against the Fever.
Last year, they set a team record for attendance when they played the Fever at State Farm Arena, a decision made due to the high interest in the game.
A sellout crowd of more than 17,000 people turned out on June 21, 2024, to watch the Fever beat the Dream 91-79.
Clark’s impact on crowds and ticket prices has been well documented, going back to her college career at Iowa.
While at college, all of the Hawkeyes’ home games and most of their road contests were sellouts.
Even Clark’s upcoming pre-season game at the Carver-Hawkeye arena on May 4 against the Brazilian national basketball team saw huge interest recorded.
Every one of the 15,000 tickets that were offered for sale were sold within 40 minutes of the sale opening.
