UNCASVILLE, Conn. (WISH) — Just like on the Mohegan Sun casino floor, everything finally starts counting Tuesday for the Indiana Fever.

Indiana opened the 2024 season in front of a sold-out crowd on the road against the Connecticut Sun at 7:30 p.m. The game marks the second time the Sun has sold out the Mohegan Sun Arena, the first since the inaugural game back in 2003.

Resale ticket prices start at $120 and go up to nearly $3,000 to sit courtside.

As the popularity grows, so does the WNBA’s resources. The Fever took their first ever charter flight to Connecticut. That’s in large part thanks to the Fever’s No. 1-overall pick Caitlin Clark.

“It’s tremendous around here. She is the Michael Jordan of basketball right about now,” Connecticut native Keith Lomax said.

The Iowa Hawkeyes phenom averaged 16.5 points in the Fever’s two preseason games. Against the Dallas Wings, she netted five of her 13 three-point attempts on her way to a team-high 21 points. But, Clark says, she’s ready for her points to finally start counting.

“I’m really excited,” Clark said. “Preseason games, you try to be as competitive as possible, but you’re still trying to figure it out and trying different lineups, so I feel now like getting out there for the first time is really exciting, and it will be super special.”

Clark has had a lot of historic moments already in her career. She left Iowa as the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer in either men’s or women’s basketball. She sold out arenas all over the country, played for two national titles in back-to-back years, and was this year’s No. 1 overall draft pick. But finally playing her first game as a professional ranks among the best moments of her career.

“I think it’s probably up there at the top,” Clark said. “This is what you kind of worked for and dreamed of and now you got to put your jersey on for the first real time and go out there and play. So, I think more than anything just soak in the moment. We’re going to be playing on the biggest stage. There’s going to be a lot of people there. It’s going to be loud. But you only play your first WNBA game once, so I think just enjoy it. It’s going to be competitive. They’re really good. So you got to prepare in the right way too, but more than anything we’re ready for the challenge.”

The crowd is going to enjoy seeing her debut as well. Lorraine Balli and Rebecca Perry bought their tickets over two months ago.

“Caitlin Clark has a lot of Larry Bird in her. I went to college at Indiana State University and I got to see Larry Bird play live. And they have these amazing ways of passing the ball without looking. And there’s not too many people that can do that,” Balli said. “I’m so grateful that not only has she brought women’s sports to a higher level, but all of women have come to higher levels.”

“It’s about women coming to the forefront and being given their due,” Perry said. “We waited a long time. We’ve had children. We’ve done all of this stuff for you guys. Give us our due, you know!”

For the Fever, this is just the next step on an already building franchise. Last year, with the help of another No. 1 pick Aliyah Boston, Indiana doubled their win total from the season before. Head coach Christie Sides has been pleased with how her team is buying in to the Fever’s culture.

“When we played our last game last year on Sept. 10, I’ve been waiting on this moment,” Sides said. “I was so happy and proud of what our players did last year to get us where we are today, and we’re just in a much different space. We’ve added some great players, both in free agency and in the draft, so it’s just a really exciting time for the Indiana Fever.”