On Thursday, the Washington Mystics hosted the Chicago Sky, which is led by Angel Reese, and suffered a 79-71 loss to fall to 0-10. On Friday, Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever roll into town. Both games were moved from the Mystics’ primary home, the 4,200-seat Entertainment and Sports Arena in Southeast Washington, to the 20,000-seat downtown venue in anticipation of the increased interest in the WNBA in general, those two rookie stars specifically and the giant accompanying crowds.
Not including promotional “camp games” that bring in scores of schoolchildren, these are the first Mystics games to be held at their old home since they moved to their smaller venue after the 2018 season. The Mystics said they were still awaiting final sales numbers as of Thursday afternoon, but some tickets for both games were selling for upward of $300 on secondary sites.
The Mystics issued 140 media credentials over the two nights, and celebrities expected to attend included singer Bootsy Collins, former Washington Nationals cornerstone Ryan Zimmerman, multiple Baltimore Ravens and Wizards players and other local personalities.
“I think overall it’s great with some drawbacks that we are having as a league and the women’s basketball community having to work through,” Mystics Coach Eric Thibault said. “I’ve been very impressed with the rookie class — one, how they’ve played, and two, how they’ve handled themselves.
“They almost seem more ready for all this craziness than everybody else. They seem to almost be handling it like the adults in the room at times. So it’s a lot of credit to them.”
Clark arrives as the most talked about rookie ever to enter the league after a record-setting college career at Iowa. She and Reese were part of the movement that brought record-breaking viewership to the NCAA tournament the past two years, and Clark regularly performed in sold-out arenas as a senior. Fever games have been moved to larger venues around the league as teams try to provide as many seats as possible for those hoping to catch a glimpse of her.
“There have been steadily inclining metrics for years now that have had us all hopeful and excited about where the league was going,” ESPN play-by-play announcer Ryan Ruocco said. “The fire was burning, and Caitlin and this rookie class was the accelerant.”
The Fever’s season-opening game against the Connecticut Sun last month was the most watched WNBA game on ESPN platforms ever. Indiana’s home opener against the New York Liberty on ABC was the network’s most watched WNBA game ever. ESPN2, Ion and NBA TV also have had their most-watched WNBA games already this season.
“The buzz we’ve felt in every arena has been incredible,” ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo said.
With that buzz has come increased attention and an increase in media coverage — with varying levels of discourse. ESPN’s Pat McAfee apologized this week after referring to Clark as a “White b—- for the Indiana team.” LeBron James and Charles Barkley insinuated veteran players should be grateful that Clark has elevated interest in the league. Reese and Clark were subjected to hard fouls in recent days that ratcheted up the intensity of the conversation, even as they tried to remain calm within it.
“Everything I’ve faced so far has been expected,” Reese said. “I knew this is a super-competitive league. Nothing was going to be easy for me, especially. One, coming in as a rookie, two, who I am. So of course people are going to go even harder, but this is what I wanted.”
“Absolutely, I’m having a lot of fun,” Clark said. “This is my childhood dream. If I’m not having fun doing this, there’s probably a bigger issue. Sure, there’s moments when I’ve been frustrated and upset … but there are so many people who would love to be in my position or love to have this opportunity.”
At times, the buzz has ventured toward the absurd. U.S. Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) wrote a letter Tuesday to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert that said, “Clark’s exceptionalism has been met with resentment and repeated attacks from fellow players,” and asked what the league was going to do about it. As the Sky got off its bus at the team hotel in Washington on Wednesday, a person reportedly approached guard Chennedy Carter — her teammates said she was “harassed” — to confront her about fouling Clark.
This is the new, wild environment of the WNBA. Players such as Clark and Reese have come into the league with considerable individual followings cultivated in college and through their name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities. There are many layers to the discussions surrounding the league, and they often are mischaracterized. But that is what the WNBA is navigating as the stars of the show arrive in Washington.
“We want a big tent. We want to welcome everybody in,” Thibault said. “I think there’s a responsibility on those that are new to the league, new to covering the league, to not always be the loudest people. I think that would go a long way. If you would take a minute to ask some questions, ask some questions of the people that have been around the league a long time, we can give you some of the context for some of these different things. To watch the games and learn the players and learn the teams.
“WNBA news is becoming mainstream news, and it’s been really nice. We had the drama with Chennedy and Caitlin and all that, and I didn’t think the discourse around that was very healthy. But I think since then we’ve seen some more, different voices get a chance to articulate some of the [more positive] things in the league.”
