Caitlin Clark made a young fan’s day by tossing her sneakers into the stands as she walked off the floor in Minnesota.
Clark had finished with 17 points in an 81-74 victory over the Commissioner’s Cup champion Lynx on Sunday, in a homecoming of sorts for the WNBA superstar from Iowa.
win on Sunday. Fever/X
The No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft walked off the floor to an adoring crowd when she spotted a young girl holding a No. 22 Clark jersey over the railing trying to get the hooper’s attention.
Clark, who already had her sneakers off, saw the youngster and walked over to toss the shoes to the girl.
As the camera panned over to the fan, she could be seen smiling from ear to ear as the fans around her joined in the excitement over the fact that Clark had specifically tossed the shoes to her.
The Fever capitalized on a beat-up Lynx squad that had come off an ugly 30-point loss to the Storm earlier in the week and had to play Sunday’s game without star Napheesa Collier.
Indiana also had the chance to play in front of a very favorable crowd that was there to see Clark.
At one point late in the game, Clark was fouled and as she walked over to the foul line she applauded the crowd and encouraged them to get louder.
Clarkshot just 5-of-17 from the floor and picked up six assists, while also turning the ball over six times.
She was also called for a technical foul in the third quarter after striking the Lynx’s Cecilia Zandalasini in the face after being fouled
the Fever’s win on Sunday. Fever/X
As if the semi-homecoming wasn’t enough for Clark, the game was also a battle against the team coached by the same person coaching the Team USA women’s basketball team for the upcoming Olympics.
Controversy ensued when some felt Clark was snubbed from the Olympic roster, and Cheryl Reeve — coach of both the Lynx and the national team — scoffed at a question about the future of the national team roster and appeared to try and downplay Clark’s effect on attendance ahead of Sunday’s game.