Caitlin Clark has never been shy about her love for basketball beyond the WNBA hardwood. The Indiana Fever guard watches everything, studies everyone and makes no apologies for being a full-time hoops fan regardless of the league or the stage.
When her WNBA schedule brought her to New York City during the 2026 NBA Finals, Clark was locked into the NBA Finals series between the Knicks and San Antonio Spurs. But the buzz of the city grabbed most of her attention. It left her wishing she could join a wild post-game crowd that her security would never have allowed.
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Caitlin Clark wants to join Knicks fans climbing poles after wins but can’t do it
She just finished her match against the New York Liberty at Barclays Center. Despite the road loss, the 24-year-old guard continues to anchor the 5-5 Fever, recording 18.7 points, 8.2 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game this season
Afterwards, she was out to dinner in Manhattan with Fever teammate Lexi Hull the night after the Knicks Game 2 win, and the post-game energy on the streets stopped her cold. New York people were flooding out of MSG, jumping on each other, climbing light poles and turning Midtown into a celebration block.
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The Fever guard joked to Hull right there at the table that they should have skipped the restaurant and run to the Garden to catch the energy after the buzzer.
Clark, who had a verbal fight with referee recently, has drawn massive crowds and attention throughout her WNBA career. Sometimes, it required security at games and public appearances. That same security infrastructure, she admitted, is exactly what stands between her and the chaos she desperately wants to be part of.
“I was out to dinner last night, and it was fun to just see the buzz around the city, and how passionate fans are,” Clark said. “I was joking with Lexi, I’m like, man, we should have got right outside MSG after they won, because I always want to see those people, where they’re like jumping around on each other and climbing light poles. I feel like that would be the experience.”
She added, “I don’t know if my security guy would let me do that, but I want to. I want to experience that, because those Knicks fans are, they’re so passionate and crazy. I admire it. It’s pretty awesome.”
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The confession is classic Clark, who is known as self-aware and completely candid. As one of the most recognizable athletes in the WNBA, blending anonymously into a chaotic crowd outside MSG is no longer an option for her. Clark playfully recognizes this constraint, joking during her press availability that her personal security team would never allow her to join the rowdy celebrations.
