Among a crowd of WNBA fans waiting for CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore to open its doors before a Sunday afternoon matinee between the Indiana Fever and Washington Mystics, Jeremy and Tori Smith stood out simply because they were among a few people wearing Mystics T-shirts and not gear associated with the Fever or star player Caitlin Clark.
Supporting their favorite team was a priority for the Smiths. Making the two-hour drive from their home in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, to Baltimore instead of traveling further south to Washington was a bonus.
Advertisement
“Traffic was very good coming here,” Jeremy Smith said. “This is nice. I like it so far.”
Sunday’s game marked the second time this season Washington played in Baltimore rather than its usual home venue of CareFirst Arena in Washington. The Mystics welcomed the Fever to CFG Bank Arena on May 28 and triumphed, 83-77, before an announced sellout attendance of 11,183. Clark was sidelined for that game with an injury but still stole the show.
Another sold-out crowd of 11,183 showed up Sunday and watched as Washington fell to Indiana, 94-65, in another game without Clark, who said last week that she would miss the rest of the season with a groin injury. Forward Natasha Howard was one of five Fever players in double figures with a team-high 17 points, and center Aliyah Boston chipped in 12 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Rookie guard Sonia Citron paced the Mystics with 17 points.
The win helped Indiana (23-20) clinch a spot in the WNBA playoffs. The Fever earned at least the No. 7 seed in the eight-team field.
Advertisement
Sunday’s attendance might be just as remarkable as that game in May considering Clark’s absence from both. The former Iowa star exploded onto the scene as the WNBA’s most marketable player and the 2024 Rookie of Year.
The 6-foot shooting guard has not played since July 15, appearing in only 13 games because of ailments to her left quad and left and right groin. She also sustained a bone bruise on her left ankle Aug. 7 while attempting to rebound from her current groin injury.
Clark’s absence did not deter Jeremy and Tori Smith — the latter of whom wore a Mystics guard Lucy Olsen T-shirt — from going Sunday. In fact, they said they purchased their tickets Friday night.
“We wanted to come because it was a good matchup with the Fever,” Jeremy Smith said, adding that they attended two Mystics games in Washington and one at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, this season. “And the tickets weren’t as pricey. Once we found out that Caitlin wasn’t going to play, we started looking.”
Advertisement
Related Articles
Clark did make an appearance at the game, walking into thunderous cheers and applause as fans screamed her name in hopes of obtaining an autograph or selfie. The number of fans who wore Clark jerseys and T-shirts dwarfed those adorned in apparel featuring Mystics All-Stars Citron or Kiki Iriafen, which did not sit well with Washington center Shakira Austin.
“I’m hoping we can get some real support from our own fans and what we have building up,” said the 2022 first-round pick who spent two seasons at Maryland before transferring to Ole Miss. “We had ‘MVP’ chants for [Las Vegas Aces forward and three-time WNBA Most Valuable Player] A’ja [Wilson] a couple games ago, which I understand. But it’s, like, we’re in DC, so support us. So I’m hoping Baltimore can be an arena where we can consistently play in to get those fans. But if they’re not going to cheer for us, then I don’t want to play here.”
After the game, Indiana center Aliyah Boston praised the fans at CFG Bank Arena for supporting the Mystics despite the lopsided score.
Advertisement
“I think they show out,” she said. “They’re pretty loud, and that’s what you love when you go on the road. You can just hear the support, and I think they do a great job of cheering on the Mystics.”
Austin’s sentiment differed from that of her coach, Sydney Johnson. Before Sunday’s game, he expressed his appreciation for the arena and fan turnout for the earlier game in May.
“It’s a beautiful building, and it’s big,” he said. “Some places you go, and you’re like, ‘Oh, this is something.’ That’s the feeling that I have when I walk into here. It’s just big. It feels big-time. The last time we were here, there was a good turnout. I think the rain was really bad that day, but it still drew a nice crowd, and they were into it, and they felt it. Frankly, it’s the kind of stage that our athletes and this league deserve — whether it’s at home, whether it’s on the road.”
Johnson also has stronger ties to the Baltimore area. He played his senior year of high school at Towson Catholic, which he led to the Baltimore Catholic League tournament final.
Advertisement
Asked if he would like to play again next year in Baltimore, Johnson replied, “I like it just because I went to high school down the road here at Towson Catholic, and I have some good friends from the area. But I like DC. I think we have a beautiful place, and I don’t want to stray too far away from our fans. It’s nice every now and then to show up in Baltimore. We’ve played in Virginia as well. But they showed up for us [in Baltimore]. So, I love that, but home is home.”
Washington guard Madison Scott grew up in Indian Head and graduated from Bishop McNamara in Forestville. She noted that CFG Bank Arena is much larger than the 4,200-seat CareFirst Arena.
“I think it’s dope,” Scott said of playing at CFG Bank Arena. “It just allows fans more access. Our gym isn’t as big capacity-wise. So playing out here allows fans access, and everyone is supporting women’s basketball. So the more, the merrier. I think it’s great.”
Whether the Mystics will return to Baltimore is a decision the franchise’s leaders will make. Austin seemed more open to the possibility of playing in Baltimore, but emphasized that she is seeking the kind of support that the Fever get in Indianapolis.
Advertisement
“If the fans were to support us and it felt like a home game, I wouldn’t mind coming out here,” she said. “But if they’re going to be wishy-washy, then keep it in DC.”
Have a news tip? Contact Edward Lee at eklee@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/EdwardLeeSun.
