Even without superstar Caitlin Clark, Wings vs. Fever electrified a sold-out crowd at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
DALLAS — They spent big on tickets, booked flights and hotels, or made the drive for a weekend getaway in Texas.
And even with Caitlin Clark sidelined by injury, Friday night still felt like a win for everyone in the building.
“I look up to them,” said Ryleigh Daniels of Alexandria, Louisiana. “I want to be them one day.”
She was wearing Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever jersey, but had a hard time choosing between that and her Paige Bueckers’ Dallas Wings gear.
Daniels is a young athlete, growing up in a remarkable time for women’s basketball.
“I hope to be here one day, I really do,” she said, talking about her dream of being in the WNBA.
The promise of a matchup between the two most recent number one picks in the WNBA draft, who have a combined 5.1 million social media followers, drove ticket prices sky high.
Caitlin’s injury did cause prices to fall by an estimated 40% in the hours leading up to tip-off, but a sell-out crowd of more than 20,000 still showed up at the Dallas Wings’ first game inside the American Airlines Center.
Check out photos from the night below:
In that crowd were Aliyah Quill and her mother Pam Quill, who traveled all the way from Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, about 30 minutes outside of Philadelphia.
Aliyah was always ambivalent about sports — she remembers trying her hand at softball in the fifth grade and hated it — but in her final two years of college, Paige and Caitlin caught her attention.
Aliyah just graduated from Carnegie Mellon’s School of Music. She was the valedictorian of the school and has plans to become an opera singer.
The game and the entire trip to Texas are her college graduation gift from her mom, a huge sports fan herself.
“Never expressed any interest in sports,” Pam said of her daughter. “When she started to love basketball, I’m like, this is freaking awesome! So, yes, we’re going to Texas to see this game, for sure!”
Aliyah can’t quite put her finger on what it is about Paige and Caitlin that captivated her and converted her.
Their talent is a huge part of it.
But so is their character.
“How they carry themselves off the court. Very kind, so much compassion. They’re inspirational people,” she said.
Longtime fans say they’re just grateful to see the sport they love grow.
“I grew up a WNBA fan. Like 20 years now. When I see all this growth, I’m crying. Caitlin’s a huge part, but it’s also all the women who came before,” said Malorie Dyer of Austin.
There’s room for them all — lifelong fans, new fans, and young fans with a lifetime ahead.
“I think this is a new thing that’s going to last a long time,” Aliyah said.