Caitlin Clark Takes on the Indianapolis 500

This past Sunday, Caitlin Clark, the standout star of the Indiana Fever, made her debut as the grand marshal at the Indianapolis 500, one of the most prestigious races in the world held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

As she approached the stage to start the race, Clark was met with cheers from numerous fans, enthusiastically signing autographs along the way. Interestingly, she paused to take a selfie while wearing a specially designed Indiana Fever helmet, which seemed like a fun moment for her.

Upon reaching the microphone, she received a warm round of applause from the crowd—over 300,000 strong—and gave an endearing thumbs-up in response. She urged the drivers with a simple yet powerful call: “Drivers, to your cars!”

In a delightful twist, she announced this year’s winner, Marcus Ericsson, who had clinched the title in 2022 as well. Clark even shared a snapshot from the pit row on her Instagram Stories, playfully mentioning, “Yes, I’m part of the Pitt team.”

This event served as a nice diversion from some recent drama involving her injury with the Fever, who are currently sitting at a 4-2 record. Just days before the 500, the WNBA had warned the team for not being transparent about Clark’s injury status before a game against the Portland Fire. She had been ruled out two hours prior, citing a back issue, despite not being mentioned on the previous day’s injury report. According to WNBA rules, players must be listed with an injury designation by 5 p.m. the day before to avoid penalties.

Clark, recovering from injuries that had impacted her 2025 season, reportedly felt stiff on game day, as noted by coach Stephanie White. The coach clarified that this wasn’t part of any workload management plan.

This season, Clark has been impressive, averaging 23.8 points alongside 9.0 assists and 4.4 rebounds over five games. Yet, she mentioned that despite her physical therapy routines at home, she struggled to feel relaxed enough to perform her best.