The Indiana Fever experienced a narrow 92-91 defeat against the Washington Mystics on Thursday night, but rookie sensation Caitlin Clark made headlines once again. The game at Capital One Arena attracted a remarkable turnout of 20,711 fans, setting a new record for the highest attendance at a WNBA regular-season game.
Clark logged eight points and eight assists in just 20 minutes of play against Washington, hitting two of five attempts from the field, including both of her three-point attempts. She spent much of the second half on the bench, as the Fever had already secured a playoff spot on September 4. Entering their final regular-season game with a record of 20-19, the Fever were assured of the No. 6 seed.
The attendance of Thursday’s game surpassed the former regular-season record of 20,674, which had been set four times during the 1998 and 1999 seasons. The Mystics normally play at the Entertainment & Sports Arena, with a capacity of 4,200, but the venue was switched to Capital One Arena to accommodate the expected large turnout for Clark’s game.
This trend of moving to larger arenas is not unique to Washington; the Las Vegas Aces also hosted the Fever at T-Mobile Arena on July 2, with a crowd of 20,366 marking the highest single-game regular-season attendance since 1999. Additionally, Fever games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse have seen increased attendance, with Indiana achieving a new WNBA home attendance record during the 2024 season.