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Good day to all.
Those who know me, including the terrific individuals in the Free Press sports department, are keenly aware I’m not much of a basketball fan.
While I love reading local stories from the hardwood by Mike Sawatzky, Taylor Allen and Josh Frey-Sam, the joy comes from the writing, not the content. But that’s just me. I didn’t take to the game when I was a youngster, and little changed as I moved into sports reporting as a career.
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Indeed, I was totally immersed in the Toronto Raptors’ momentous 2019 playoff run that culminated with an NBA championship. For weeks, I was on the edge of my couch, a devout follower of the ‘We The North’ rallying cry.
My family was on a first-name basis with the stars of that sensational squad, screaming through the TV to Kawhi (Leonard), Kyle (Lowry), Marc (Gasol), Danny (Green), Fred (Van Vleet), Serge (Ibaka), Pascal (Siakam) and Norm (Powell).
Watching those post-season contests from tip-off to the final buzzer and savouring that victory celebration when the final seconds ticked away in Game 6 against the Golden State Warriors felt mighty good.
Kawhi Leonard (left) and the Toronto Raptors’ momentous 2019 playoff run culminated with an NBA championship after defeating the Golden State Warriors in six games. (THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES /Frank Gunn)
And then I completely tuned out again.
Full disclosure, I didn’t watch another hoops game in its entirety until I took in the provincial AAAA varsity girls high school championship clash about eight weeks ago at Investors Group Athletic Centre.
That was a fun evening, as the Dakota Lancers knocked off the Garden City Gophers to claim their third consecutive title. Later that night, the Vincent Massey Trojans beat the Oak Park Raiders to win the AAAA varsity boys high school championship.
And since then?
Well, I got swept up in the final stages of the recent NCAA Div. 1 women’s tournament, glued to the set for the final three games of global star Caitlin Clark and her Iowa teammates. I didn’t miss a minute of the Hawkeyes’ crushing 87-75 loss to powerhouse South Carolina to wrap up March Madness.
That game marked the end of Clark’s historic collegiate career. She left school as the all-time leading scorer (women or men) in NCAA Div. 1 history with 3,951 points.
Every seat was occupied at every Iowa home game at 15,500-seat Carver-Hawkeye Arena this past season, and fans packed other buildings across the United States to watch the 22-year-old from Des Moines create magic on the court.
Now, Clark’s carrying that over to the pro ranks. On Thursday night, more than 13,000 spectators took in her WNBA home debut – albeit in the pre-season – at Gainbridge Fieldhouse where Clark had 12 points and eight rebounds as the Indiana Fever downed the Atlanta Dream 83-80.
Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark (left) looks to pass the ball as Atlanta Dream’s Naz Hillmon defends during the second half of a WNBA preseason basketball game Thursday in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Yes, the No.1 overall pick in the league draft last month isn’t just the hottest ticket in her town, she’s generating a frenzy for tickets for Indiana road games as well.
The “Caitlin Clark Effect” is in full force, as the demand to see her live has prompted skyrocketing ticket prices, while teams in other cities are moving their matchups with the Fever to larger venues.
For example, the Washington Mystics have relocated their battle June 7 with the Fever from their 4,200-seat home — blandly named Entertainment & Sports Arena — to 20,000-seat Capital One Arena, which is home to Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.
Forbes magazine has reported the Fever will compete in the WNBA’s top-10 most expensive regular-season games this year. Interestingly, fetching the highest dollar is the Fever’s matchup with the Minnesota Lynx on July 14 in Minneapolis, which just happens to be the closest WNBA city to Winnipeg.
I checked ticket availability just for fun on Wednesday, and the secondary market had some left for north of US$500.
But today I see the Lynx have opened the upper deck at Target Center in anticipation of Clark’s arrival and are selling tickets for as low as US$49.
I just texted my wife, Allyson, to see if she’s up for a road trip. Will advise.
(Update: Tickets booked! A promise to hit up Burlington – not just coats anymore – sealed the deal.)
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