Why did Caitlin Clark withdraw from Indy 500 qualifying day honor last-minute?
WNBA star Caitlin Clark was supposed to wave the green flag at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at 1 pm ET on Sunday (May 18) to kick off the Indy 500 day's proceedings. However, in a last-minute update, it is being reported that she won't be present to do the honors.
Clark was supposed to be present with Indiana Fever President Kelly Krauskopf at the IMS, but per IndyCar reporter Nathan Brown, a "scheduling conflict" played spoilsport. This could've been Clark's second IndyCar honor after serving as Grand Marshal for the 2023 Iowa race.
In a new development, Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White will now wave the green flag to start the opening practice session on the second day of Indy 500 qualifying. She will be joined by Clark's teammates, Aliyah Boston (Power Forward), Sophie Cunningham (Shooting Guard), and Makayla Timpson (Forward).
The quartet of White, Boston, Cunningham, and Timpson will also be guests in the garage of Andretti Global's Colton Herta and will meet WNBA student ambassadors.
For the Indiana Fever, these last-minute swaps for the Indy 500 proceedings wouldn't cause much inconvenience. The team played its opening game of the 2025 WNBA season at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday (May 17), which is less than five miles from the IMS. The Fever's second game is also a home fixture on Tuesday (May 20) against the Atlanta Dream, meaning the team is staying in Indiana.
The team got off to a blistering start to its 2025 campaign with a brilliant 93-58 win over the Chicago Sky. The team dominated on all fronts, led by Caitlin Clark's triple-double. She put up 20 points, 10 assists, 10 rebounds, and a career-high four blocks.
The Sky, led by Angel Reese's 12 points and 17 rebounds, had barely any answer to the 2024 Rookie of the Year's heroics.
Indy 500 veteran Graham Rahal tips his hat to Caitlin Clark's effect on the WNBA and women's sports
Ahead of the first day of Indy 500 qualifying, IndyCar star Graham Rahal spoke about the Caitlin Clark effect on the WNBA. The 19th-year veteran, who will make his 18th Indy 500 attempt on May 25, highlighted how the 23-year-old's records-laden rookie year changed the face of the sport.
"She’s transformed the WNBA," Rahal said via Wish-Tv. "I think she’s transformed women’s sports."
Elaborating on the Indiana Fever's other players, the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver added:
"But obviously this year, you’ve got Lexie (Hull), you’ve got Sophie (Cunningham)…. They have transformed, and for young girls, like my daughters, two and four, to see somebody like Caitlin Clark come out and really transform the sport and the way people perceive it, I mean, (she’s) America’s sweetheart, certainly here in the Midwest. They connect to the core of a great Midwestern town like Indianapolis. So it’s really cool to see."
Rahal had a breakthrough in the Indy 500 qualifying on Saturday (May 17). He finally made it into the Top 30 after two years of disappointment and starting dead last on the grid. This time, his P30 starting position is locked in, and he won't have to compete in the Last Chance Qualifying on Sunday (May 18).