In a stunning move that once again underscores the unstoppable momentum of Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever, ESPN has announced it will nationally televise an exhibition game for the first time in WNBA history. This groundbreaking broadcast will feature the Fever taking on Brazil’s national team on May 4 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City—Clark’s old stomping grounds and a place now forever intertwined with her legend.
The announcement, first reported by The Athletic and since confirmed by multiple sources, is being heralded as another milestone in what many are now calling the Caitlin Clark Era. Dubbed “the Caitlin Clark effect,” her impact is once again making history, this time before the regular season has even begun.
ESPN’s decision to televise the preseason matchup is unprecedented. Exhibition games have rarely, if ever, received such widespread media attention, and certainly not a national broadcast slot on the network’s primary channel. Only a potential Game 7 in the NBA playoffs could bump the Fever-Brazil game to ESPN2.
This isn’t just about one player’s return to her alma mater. It’s a symbol of how far women’s basketball has come—and how Caitlin Clark continues to push those boundaries.
Tickets to the May 4 game sold out within 45 minutes of being released. Fans in Iowa and beyond rushed to secure their spot in what will be Clark’s first appearance at Carver-Hawkeye since graduating last spring. It’s not a Fever home game. It’s not even a regular season game. And yet, it’s arguably the most anticipated exhibition in WNBA history.
The Fever’s President of Basketball Operations, Kelly Krauskopf, captured the sentiment perfectly: “Countless Hawkeye fans have become Fever fans, and we consider them family. That’s what will make this preseason matchup so special for us.”
There’s a bigger story here, too. The WNBA, long criticized for its limited preseason coverage, has never aired a preseason game on national television—until now. Last season, an exhibition between the Chicago Sky and the Minnesota Lynx wasn’t even broadcast officially. A fan recorded the entire game on their phone and uploaded it to social media, where it garnered over 2 million views. That level of demand sent a message.
And now, the league’s response is clear: the game has changed.
Clark’s influence on the sport has become impossible to ignore. Following a Rookie of the Year campaign and an All-WNBA First Team selection, she has singlehandedly shifted the WNBA’s media presence. Of the Indiana Fever’s 44 games this season, 41 will be nationally televised or streamed. Ten of those will air on ABC or ESPN. Another eight will be carried on ION.
That’s not just a programming choice. That’s a revolution.
Viewership records were shattered across six different WNBA broadcasting partners last year. Every one of those top-performing games featured one common denominator: Caitlin Clark. Her ability to draw audiences has turned the Fever from an overlooked franchise into the WNBA’s biggest box-office ticket.
But the magic isn’t just in Indiana. It’s everywhere she goes.
Her return to Carver-Hawkeye will feel like a coronation. Iowa retired her jersey earlier this year, a rare honor given before the ink on a diploma has even dried. She’s the all-time leading scorer in NCAA basketball history, regardless of gender. Her highlight reels have gone viral globally. Her impact is cultural, economic, and generational.
And she’s just getting started.
The May 4 matchup against Brazil isn’t the only homecoming happening this spring. In a clear sign of how powerful the college-to-pro pipeline has become in women’s basketball, other WNBA teams are following suit. Angel Reese will return to LSU as the Chicago Sky play an exhibition game in Baton Rouge. The Las Vegas Aces and Dallas Wings will play at Notre Dame, home to Juel Lloyd and Jackie Young. The New York Liberty will head to Oregon for Sabrina Ionescu and Nyara Sabally.
But Caitlin Clark’s return stands alone. Not just because of the broadcast. Not just because of the sellout crowd. But because she’s not simply visiting her past—she’s redefining the sport’s future in the very place where her journey began.
Fans are treating the game like a championship. Scalpers are flooding resale sites. Hotel rooms in Iowa City are being booked weeks in advance. And ESPN’s choice to prioritize this moment tells you everything you need to know: Caitlin Clark isn’t just the face of the Fever. She’s the face of the WNBA’s evolution.
For many fans, especially those who followed her during her unforgettable run with the Hawkeyes, this moment represents more than just basketball. It’s about loyalty. About legacy. And about witnessing history unfold again, live, in the place where it all started.
May 4th isn’t just another game. It’s a statement.
And the world will be watching.
