Liberty Sets Attendance Record at Caitlin Clark’s New York Debut

At Barclays Center on Saturday, during the first half of a game between the New York Liberty and the Indiana Fever, a man on the floor level held up a sign that instructed the crowd to “get loud.” There was no need for the prompt.

Some of the raucous crowd was there to watch Caitlin Clark — the Fever’s wunderkind rookie — play her first professional game in New York City, some were Liberty fans, and more than a few seemed to be there to cheer for both sides.

There were celebrities sitting courtside, like Billie Jean King, Jason Sudeikis, Megan Rapinoe and the actress Amy Ryan. And there was basketball royalty in the building as well, including Sue Bird, Pau Gasol and Dawn Staley, the coach of the South Carolina women’s basketball team that beat Ms. Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes in this year’s N.C.A.A. tournament final.

Every time the Jumbotron flashed one of the famous faces, the crowd seemed to get even more electric.

The building was buzzing for the Liberty’s first home game of the season, which set a franchise record by drawing 17,735 fans. And it was part of an exciting first week of the W.N.B.A. season, with many hoping the arrival of stars like Ms. Clark will usher in a more prosperous and popular era.

It is a massive change for a league that has sometimes been the butt of unkind jokes, but recently, in a sign of its improved financial footing, announced that its teams will begin traveling on private charter planes this season.

At Saturday’s game, Cathy Engelbert, the W.N.B.A.’s commissioner, was sitting next to Adam Silver, her N.B.A. counterpart, underscoring the importance of the event.

For ticket holders like Hayley Nelson, 28, the game was a chance to support a magnetic player like Ms. Clark.

“I’m here to watch Caitlin play,” said Ms. Nelson, a homemaker from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, who has been following Ms. Clark’s career since she was a senior in high school. “I didn’t get to see much of her in Iowa and when we were here I was like, ‘We’re going.’ Her style of play draws people in.”

Jamie Snyder, 33, was also at the game strictly for Ms. Clark.

“I want to watch Caitlin Clark in her first round here,” Ms. Snyder, who traveled from South New Jersey for the game, said. “She’s just a great player all around.”

Ms. Clark, who can seem somewhat timid when she is away from the game, is still finding herself, according to Adri Zgirdea Toth, her stylist.

“She knows what she likes, is confident and can make decisions,” Ms. Zgirdea Toth said of the star, who wore Prada on the night she was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft. “As time goes on, her style is going to develop, and she’s going to really come into her own and figure out who she is stylistically and on the court in this new arena that she’s playing at.”

Ali Marconi, 29, is one of many fans who think Ms. Clark’s popularity is helping the entire league.

“I think she’s doing really, really amazing things for the league,” Ms. Marconi said outside Barclays Center. “Caitlin Clark, for young women, is so impactful.”

But for longtime W.N.BA. fans, like Ophelia Hec, 41, a project manager from New Jersey, the league’s ascent has more to it than just Ms. Clark.

“I’ve been watching them since it all started,” said Ms. Hec, who was wearing a mint green Liberty shirt. “It’s just a little bit more hectic right now.”

Helping it stay hectic on Saturday was Ellie the Elephant, the Liberty’s mascot, who has developed a loyal fan base of her own. Every time the crowd was asked to do the “Ellie Wave,” it appeared as if every seat in the house had a white towel flying over it.

The Liberty ended up beating Ms. Clark and the Fever, 91-80, but it was Ellie who brought the house down.