Caitlin Clark Wows in Fever Debut at Iowa Homecoming Against Brazil
Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever took the court Sunday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, facing off in a preseason exhibition against the Brazilian National Team. But the day wasn’t just about basketball—it was a heartfelt homecoming for the former Iowa Hawkeye legend and one of the most iconic players in college basketball history.
Clark, already a beloved figure in her home state, helped elevate Iowa women’s basketball to national prominence with her jaw-dropping long-range shooting and magnetic presence. The defining moment of her collegiate career came when she broke the all-time NCAA scoring record—for both men and women—with a deep 35-foot three-pointer. That very spot is now permanently marked on the court with her #22, a tribute to the history she made.
Naturally, in her first game back on that floor, Clark couldn’t resist revisiting the memory—but she one-upped it. Early in the game, she launched a 36-foot bomb, a full foot behind her iconic spot, swishing it clean and sending the crowd into a frenzy. It was classic Caitlin, and Carver-Hawkeye erupted in cheers.
After the game, Fever head coach Stephanie White was asked about Clark’s deep shooting tendencies and whether the team would ever try to rein her in. Her response was crystal clear: “That’s just who she is.” She went on to compare Clark to none other than Steph Curry, saying, “Nobody tells Steph Curry not to take good shots, right?”
White’s sentiments echoed those of Lisa Bluder, Clark’s former coach at Iowa, who once told David Letterman on his Netflix show: “You don’t say ‘Whoa’ to a racehorse.”
For Clark, the game was more than just a preseason tune-up—it was a meaningful return to the place where she became a household name. “These are the moments you never take for granted,” she said afterward. “You kind of just want to stay in them forever.”
And she didn’t leave her fans hanging. “I had to give the fans a little something. I told you I was going to,” she said with a smile.
It’s those unforgettable moments—and the audacious shots—that have captured the hearts of basketball fans everywhere. With Stephanie White clearly embracing Clark’s fearless playstyle, fans can expect plenty more highlight-reel moments in the Fever’s future.
As the regular season approaches, this homecoming performance only raises expectations for what Clark will bring to the WNBA. With the green light from a coach who gets her game, she’s set to electrify at the next level just as she did in Iowa City.
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