18,343 fans were at Climate Pledge Arena on Tuesday night to watch the Seattle Storm take on the Indiana Fever.

That’s tied for the record-largest crowd for a Storm home game.

The obvious factor was Caitlin Clark, the long-range shooting sensation who has completely changed the game and helped bring it to new heights.

Think about the weight of that.

Every city, the same extended questions and constant lines of adoring fans wanting to meet you or say hi. It’s all a major compliment of course, but it takes a toll.

For Clark? She can’t let it affect her game. She believes she has a responsibility to focus and give the Indiana Fever her all every night.

“That’s the reason why I play, that’s when I’m at my best is when I’m smiling and having fun,” Clark said before Tuesday’s game with the Storm.

“So just always trying to remind myself of that, and then of course I’m an athlete competing at the highest level, I’m a perfectionist. You want to be really good every single night, and when you’re not, that can frustrate you, but it’s just reminding yourself of why you play this game.”

There’s no doubting the growth of the “W” in just these last two seasons. How a basketball play that would be forgotten in the WNBA or NBA if it was most players becomes fodder for the sports talk shows over the course of a week because it was Clark and Angel Reese.

The uncanny shooting ability and budding rivalries with fellow stars have made Caitlin arguably the most impactful player in American sports over the last couple years. And it’s an impact that benefits the entire WNBA, including our Seattle Storm.

Even in a game where the home team Storm, lost 94-86 and Clark was not at her best with just 6 points on 3-13 shooting, Climate Pledge Arena was rocking all night.

A sign of things to come.

A report from CNN this week says that the value of WNBA franchises collectively rose nearly 200% from just last season.

As more people continue to tune in (yes, the TV and viewership ratings are on the rise exponentially as well) the product will continue to grow. In fact, spurred by this new popularity, the WNBA expanded with a new franchise this season, the Golden State Valkyries with a new team starting play in 2026 just down the road in Portland.

So when you watch Caitlin Clark, you can admire the three pointers, the stunning range from which she buries them, but also take stock in how she’s growing the game.

For us locally, Caitlin told me she’s always admired Seattle and its basketball history.

“This is probably one of my favorite arenas in the league. It’s just a great basketball arena, I played here in college (the 2023 Sweet 16 & Elite 8) and obviously, professionally now. A lot of really good fans in this city that love supporting women’s basketball, and that makes it very fun to play. Obviously, they’ve had a lot of success here, so growing up and watching the Storm and everything they’ve been able to do makes it really fun being able to come here,” Clark said.

Now? It’s those same Seattle fans growing up and watching Caitlin. And by the time they get to their prime playing days, you can expect the WNBA to be on a whole other level in popularity. Thanks largely in part to the Caitlin Clark effect.