We know very well that Caitlin Clark has already racked up more praise, records, and accolades than most athletes could dream of, and that too in her rookie season. But Indiana Fever’s new head coach, Stephanie White, just gave her what might be the biggest honor yet, being in her Swiftie era.

In a fresh episode of Inside Fever Basketball, White revealed how the Caitlin Clark effect reminded her of Taylor Swift. She recalled calling Clark’s game in Maryland and described the absolute frenzy in the hotel lobby—packed three and a half hours before tip-off, with a one-mile route to the arena taking 45 minutes. 

“It was nuts, it was insane,” she shared. “For the first time, calling her game on the road in a sold-out environment and seeing the hoop-law, I guess you could say Taylor Swift 2.0.” And who could deny it? 

Well, this also shows that Fever’s new HC is totally in awe of her star player. Rather, she has always been. White has backed up quite a lot of times, even during her initial WNBA days. Now, she is gearing up to guide the team to 2025 season which is expected to be one for the books considering Steph’s history with the franchise. 

She was part of their 2012 championship run as an assistant, took over as head coach in 2015, and was a player herself from 2000 to 2005. But while 2024 ROTY is excited to welcome White, she’s currently busy living her best life at the Eras Tour. 

Clark has established herself as the biggest Swiftie. Her social media during the pop star’s Indianapolis stop should put that to rest. She spammed her socials with moments from the concert. And while currently she is soaking up her off-season, just a few months back, she was lighting up the court like no one else. The Iowa alumna’s leap from college fame to WNBA stardom is something we don’t often see. 

Caitlin Clark’s fandom transitioned from college to the WNBA

The ‘Caitlin Clark effect’ has come with record-breaking viewership and sell-out crowds in both her college and WNBA. Her final NCAA tournament games were legendary on the ratings front. Iowa’s face-off against LSU in the Elite Eight brought in a whopping 12.3 million viewers, the most-watched women’s college game ever. 

And her Final Four game against UConn didn’t just set a college record; with 14.2 million viewers, it became ESPN’s most-watched basketball game, outpacing even NBA and MLB viewership.

When the CC-led Iowa squad reached the NCAA championship game against South Carolina, viewership hit a new high, with 18.7 million people tuning in. Even White emphasized that this could be the first time we saw a ‘carryover’ from college to the WNBA. 

Most athletes have played sold-out arenas in college, but this has not transitioned to the WNBA. But the No. 1 pick made it happen. The Fever was an underdog in the league last year, struggling to a 13-27 record and averaging around 4,067 fans per game. 

This season, however, with Clark’s presence, Fever led the league with over 17,000 fans per game, setting a WNBA record with more than 300,000 total fans across the season. They were all over the national TV schedule, with 36 games aired nationally, beating out Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty. 

Hence, with Clark’s incredible success so early in her career, the Fever veteran turned-coach believes there’s so much more to come. As for what’s next, we can see that the No.22’s impact is anything but fading. Let’s see how many more she’ll shatter next season.