Syndication: Iowa City Press-Citizen - Source: Imagn — Indiana Fever fans line up for Caitlin Clark merchandise six hours before today's season opener (Image credit: Imagn)

Caitlin Clark mania begins as fans line up hours in hopes of snagging early merch

Modified May 17, 2025 16:08 GMT

Ahead of Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever's season opener at Gainbridge Fieldhouse today, fans have already started lining up in front of the team store. According to a photo posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, by Barstool Sports' Dave Portnoy, fans began lining up an hour before the team store actually opened, and six hours before the 3 p.m. ET tip-off.

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Clark and the Fever will notably be hosting the Chicago Sky, with the 18,000+ capacity arena sold out for today's season opener.

The game will tip off a 2025 campaign that Indiana hopes will end in a championship. After making their return to the postseason last year for the first time since 2016, the Fever's front office went to work during the offseason.

Now, with their Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell trio back for another season, and newly-acquired veterans like DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, Brianna Turner, Sophie Cunningham, and Sydney Colson, the expectation is that the Fever will be championship contenders this season.

Of course, heading into today's game, the Fever will be without Cunningham, who was ruled out of the team's season opener with an ankle injury that she sustained during the preseason.

While she had joked during practice on Friday that she was ready to play, it sounds like Fever fans will have to wait to see her make her regular-season debut.

"Rivalries are real," - Caitlin Clark opens up on the Indiana Fever's highly-anticipated season opener against the Chicago Sky

While Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever's home opener was bound to be a major affair given the attention the team drew last season, today's season opened will pit Clark and the Fever against Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky.

Although the two players have both made it clear that off the court, they have no beef, on the court, the two are fierce competitors who have put on shows for fans time and time again, both at the NCAA level and the WNBA level.

Ahead of today's season opener, Caitlin Clark spoke with ESPN about facing off against a competitive rival:

"Rivalries are real, and that's what makes sports so amazing. There's certain teams that those games just mean a little bit more. [We] come out here and play the same way every night, but [a rivalry] gets the fans involved, and they love it."

Today's game will mark the first of five games that these two teams will play against one another this season. The next two games, set for Jun. 7 and Jul. 27, will be played in Chicago, while their final two meetings will take place at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Aug. 9 and Sep. 5.

About the author

Evan Bell is a journalist specializing in the NBA and NHL at Sportskeeda, whose love for the game stems from a childhood spent watching the Chicago Bulls. He has been there through their highs and lows, from the Jordan era to the exciting Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah years.

Evan finds the 82-game season and the intensity of playoff basketball exhilarating, and he also revels in the offseason drama. Phil Jackson stands out as his favorite coach, whom he admires for his composed leadership and success in managing dynamic personalities like Dennis Rodman.

To deliver top-quality content, Evan fact-checks information while diligently keeping up with the action year-round.

When he's not writing, Evan follows tennis and Greek football, and also plays basketball and tennis.

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