Caitlin Clark is picking up where she left off in her college career.
The phenom wowed a sold-out crowd in Arlington for her WNBA debut. The preseason exhibition for the Dallas Wings felt more like a playoff game.
Fans packed the 7,000-seat arena at UT Arlington's College Park Center.
Many arrived hours before tip-off like ninth-grade season ticket holders Chloe and Carissa Cowen from Plano.
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“It gives me inspiration that I can be like that too,” said Chloe Cowan.
Clark holds the NCAA Division I Women's record for the most points in a single season, a milestone she achieved in her final year at the University of Iowa.
Cristina Edge used to live in Iowa before moving to North Texas three years ago.
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“I couldn't even sleep last night. I feel, like, a little girl. It’s like Christmas today,” she said.
If this is Christmas, then the game is a gift.
It was the chance for fans to see Caitlin Clark make her professional debut. The superstar was picked first in the WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever just two weeks ago.
“Continue to be me,” Clark told NBC 5 before Friday’s game. “I think that's the biggest thing I'm telling myself is, like, don't be afraid of the moment. You're ready for this. You worked for this and go get after it.”
Clark received a rousing ovation when she was introduced to Fever starters.
It was a dream come true, jump up-and-down moment for fans who’d been waiting for it.
Clark returns to Arlington in July before the Olympic break and for a third time in September.
