More than 17,000 fans packed the arena to catch Caitlin Clark and the Fever's home opener on Thursday, but they didn't have much to root for on the court ... as Indiana got dominated by the New York Liberty.
It was a sellout crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse ... with a reported 17,274 hoops fans in attendance for the contest.
Clark -- who had 20 points and 10 turnovers in her WNBA debut -- improved on her ball security in her second outing, but was held to single digits in scoring for the first time since 2021, when she was a star at Iowa.
Clark had nine points (2-8 from the field), seven rebounds, six assists and just three turnovers in 30 minutes in the 102-66 loss ... and before the game, she admitted it's going to take some time adjusting to the pros, but remains confident she'll get better with more experience.
Caitlin Clark out here signing autographs at rapid fire speed 🤣 pic.twitter.com/LtGxDsNuqR
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) May 16, 2024
Despite the sluggish start, the 22-year-old hooper is by far the biggest name to enter the W in years ... and she was bombarded by autograph requests before Thursday's matchup.
As for the Liberty, Breanna Stewart led the way with 31 points and 10 rebounds.
Ultimately, Clark is going to be just fine, so relax, folks ... but like she said, there will be some growing pains along the way.