Valkyries fever upstages the Caitlin Clark experience at Chase Center

SAN FRANCISCO It turns out the superpower didn t belong to Caitlin Clark Instead the Golden State Valkyries were fueled by another full house that upstaged the majority famous athlete in women s basketball in a big way Thursday night at Chase Center Brandon Podziemski who has become something of a mascot for the Warriors WNBA affiliate wore a satisfied smile in a hallway after Valkyries pulled away in the second half for an - win before a raucous crowd of We stole the show Podziemski revealed Clark was harassed into a -for- shooting night and went -for- on -point attempts She committed six turnovers and finished with points seven rebounds and nine assists It was only the second time in WNBA games she failed to make a -pointer None of this diminishes Clark s importance in terms of elevating her sport something that began in college at Iowa and has continued in the WNBA Once upon a time in Michael Jordan came to the Coliseum Arena for the first time as a rookie for the Chicago Bulls and finished with points the lowest total of his first season It happens Clark has played in six games this season missing five with a quadriceps injury But she s earned rock star status in women s basketball and beyond unlike anyone else as a long-distance shooter and creator Yet the scene at Chase Center wasn t a bunch of neophyte fans getting their first general look with Clark in her first-ever trip to Sacramento The sound at Chase was deafening throughout particularly in a - second half and Clark and the Fever merely couldn t keep up They were screaming When calls didn t go our way they reacted Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase revealed Those are the type of moments that we really need It puts pressure on the refs it gives us that home-court advantage we re looking for I think our fans were our superpower tonight There were plenty of Indiana jerseys with Clark s name and No at the arena but while other venues have flocked to see Clark it was clear from the outset that the sea of purple Valkyries fans were there to see their group Golden State is - just like the Fever But they ve lost key international players to their respective national teams for EuroBasket and had to adjust the roster on the fly None of that has altered the style Nakase and her staff have preached since Day of training camp They play disruptive defense win hustle plays and unflinchingly shoot -pointers Noemi Revuelta of Pompano Beach Florida cheers for Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark before the start of their WNBA contest at Chase Center Jose Carlos Fajardo Bay Area News Group Clark s WNBA experience has included certain jealousy from opposing teams and players even as she s lifted the entire sport Before the Valkyries fans took over and Clark began misfiring Clark was shooting -pointers in warmups at one point hitting of as fans in midlevel seats wearing Indiana jerseys screamed Caitlin Caitlin A pair of fans from Portland who were Iowa transplants watched intently Scot Northern wore an Iowa jersey with Clark s No with her name on the back His wife Kati an Iowa graduate also had an Iowa jersey with the No for Kate Martin a Clark teammate who had nine points and five rebounds for the Valkyries Thursday night Scot received the tickets from his wife as a birthday gift I had never been a women s basketball fan I had never even watched a competition until the Hawkeyes at Iowa Scot Northern stated Now I m just totally hooked on the WNBA We ve got WNBA League Pass Portland s getting a gang next year so just the chance to come here and see this matchup it s the best birthday present ever The Northerns paid per ticket for seats nearly at floor level plus airfare and hotel Afterward outside the arena they didn t seem to mind that much that Clark and the Fever had a rough night It was great Not the outcome we sought but a great experience Scot Northern mentioned Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever was welcomed to San Francisco before an - win by the Valkyries at Chase Center Jose Carlos Fajardo Bay Area News Group Clark who spoke before the challenge but not after it is cognizant of her importance and takes being a role model seriously She s a polished interview subject and her pregame conference was standing room only as it is at virtually every venue I demanded her about living life in the population eye at age I feel at this point I m pretty used to it There is a lot of people that maybe this their first time to see us play It s my first time in San Francisco Clark explained It s still fun for me There s a lot of people that would want to be in my shoes and have those types of opportunities It s good to remind yourself there are perpetually eyes on you My mom has reminded me of that since I was a kid Even as a high school participant there are young girls wanting to be like you and you ve got to set the best example you can percent of the time It s my responsibility to help grow this challenge There are particular days that are harder than others but every day I remind myself I m just lucky and fortunate Indiana interim coach Austin Kelly marvels at the way Clark deals with the notoriety You forget how young she is and how new to the league she is Kelly explained It s been really good to watch such a young player handle it with such grace Clark s done enough media to stray from expected land mines She and the Fever were involved in a scuffle Tuesday night with Connecticut Clark who has gotten the Stephen Curry rough stuff recovery to throw her off her competition was poked in the eye and then shoved to the floor by Marina Mabrey The league looked at it and then upgraded Mabrey s foul to a Flagrant It was the only question Clark wouldn t touch I think coach Stephanie White talked about it plenty after the last encounter and it is what it is Clark reported You move on and my focus is just about tonight Indiana guard Kelsey Mitchell revealed the loss wasn t as much about Clark s issues as it was about the Valkyries Related Articles Urgent down Valkyries gameplan that smothered Caitlin Clark Be physical Valkyries shut down Caitlin Clark defeat Fever in front of raucous Chase Center crowd Monique Billings looking forward to increased minutes as Valkyries starting center Caitlin Clark explains why she idolizes Warriors superstar Steph Curry Valkyries Kate Martin embracing role ahead of clash with Caitlin Clark It s not about Caitlin specifically Mitchell revealed Our entire group was soft They made us pay by being stronger by being tougher Fifty-fifty balls deflections getting in the passing lanes We allowed it We kind of tucked our tail tonight on the aggression side and that s our downfall right now Clark has watched the Valkyries closely because of her friendship with Martin so Thursday night ostensibly came as no surprise These people aren t just showing up in a seat and checking a box about being here Clark noted They seem like they re here to help and cheer and appreciate women s basketball and that s the coolest thing They want to be part of it and be that sixth sportsman to help this crew win