Fever upend 1st place Lynx in Minnesota as fans show out to cheer on Caitlin Clark

Caitlin Clark made a young fan’s day by tossing her sneakers into the stands as she walked off the floor in Minnesota.

Clark had finished with 17 points in an 81-74 victory over the Commissioner’s Cup champion Lynx on Sunday, in a homecoming of sorts for the WNBA superstar from Iowa.

Caitlin Clark tosses her sneakers to a young fan after the Fever’s win on Sunday.

The No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, Caitlin Clark, walked off the floor to the cheers of an adoring crowd. As she exited, she noticed a young girl holding a No. 22 Clark jersey over the railing, hoping to catch her attention. Despite already having her sneakers off, Clark saw the youngster and walked over to toss her shoes to the girl.

The camera captured the heartwarming moment, showing the young fan beaming from ear to ear. The fans around her joined in the excitement, celebrating the special gesture from Clark.

The Fever took advantage of a depleted Lynx squad, who were reeling from a 30-point loss to the Storm earlier in the week and played without their star, Napheesa Collier. Indiana enjoyed a supportive crowd, many of whom were there to see Caitlin Clark in action.

Late in the game, after being fouled, Clark walked to the foul line, applauding the crowd and urging them to get louder. Despite her efforts, Clark struggled with her shooting, going 5-of-17 from the floor, dishing out six assists, but also committing six turnovers. She was called for a technical foul in the third quarter after inadvertently striking the Lynx’s Cecilia Zandalasini in the face following a foul.

A young fan is overjoyed to get Caitlin Clark’s sneakers after the Fever’s win on Sunday.

Caitlin Clark and the Fever defeated the Lynx on Sunday.

Amid the semi-homecoming excitement, Caitlin Clark faced off against the team coached by Cheryl Reeve, who also leads Team USA’s women’s basketball team for the upcoming Olympics. This matchup was steeped in controversy, as many believed Clark was unfairly left off the Olympic roster. Tensions rose further when Reeve, the coach of both the Lynx and the national team, dismissed questions about the national team’s future and seemed to downplay Clark’s significant impact on game attendance ahead of Sunday’s showdown.