The Indiana Fever are coming off a 90-73 victory over the Portland Fire on Wednesday. Indiana was able to overcome the absence of guard Caitlin Clark, who was scratched from the lineup only 100 minutes before the start of the game.
Forward Aliyah Boston, who missed Indiana's previous game against the Seattle Storm on Sunday, came up big for the Fever, scoring a game-high 24 points and tying teammate Lexie Hull with a game-high eight rebounds. Guard Tyasha Harris, who started in place of the injured Clark, played her most minutes of the season (a game-high 29 minutes) while dishing a game-high seven assists and committing zero turnovers.
Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
With superstar Clark out of the lineup, it appeared fans did not find the motivation to attend the matchup. In a social media post on X, Rhodes Rants of Black and White Sports Network noted that there was “no hiding those empty seats on TV... (expletive)!”
A fan who attended the game noted that many seats in the arena were empty, saying it was the emptiest the arena had been since the arrival of CC (Caitlin Clark). This is a change from past seasons, when Clark often brought sellouts to whatever arena she visited, even during preseason games. Fans reacted to the empty seats in the arena.
“Good. I hope they all decided not to go after the stunt they pulled,” a fan said.
“They still bring in 14,000 people,” chimed in an optimistic user.
“That new CBA is going up in flames right now,” catastrophized a poster.
“Do you know how inept you have to be to fail with the most popular female athlete in team sports of all time?” said another fan.
“That place is empty,” a user noted bluntly.
“@IndianaFever, you reap what you sow. Hope you are enjoying this. I know I am. This is what you deserve!” proclaimed an unhappy fan.
Indiana will next face the Golden State Valkyries on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
