The Caitlin Clark The effect has paid off big time for the Indiana Fever and women’s basketball.
Pacers Sports & Entertainment unveiled its $78 million plan to build a world-class performance center in downtown Indianapolis exclusively for its WNBA team, which is expected to open before the start of the 2027 season.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) talks with Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (0) during the first half of Game 2 of the First Round of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs at Mohegan Sun Arena on September 25, 2024. (Paul Rutherford/Imagn Images)
“We are excited to work with Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett to find the perfect location for the Indiana Fever Sports Performance Center,” PS&E owner Herb Simon said in a statement. “The city of Indianapolis continues to be a great partner as we take our team, players and community to the next level.”
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The 108,000-square-foot practice facility will be connected to the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where both the Fever and Indiana Pacers play, and construction is expected to begin in August 2025.
According to a press release from the team, the center’s design will address “the specific needs of female athletes competing at the highest levels, including performance and conditioning, recovery and rehabilitation, mental health and wellness and lifestyle support.”
“This elite training center is a reflection of our organization’s ongoing commitment to ensuring our players have the highest level of resources to be successful,” Indiana Fever president of basketball and operations Kelly Krauskopf said in a statement of the team.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) shoots as Jacy Sheldon (4) of the Dallas Wings and Natasha Howard (right) defend in the first half of a WNBA game on September 1, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
“As we look to the future, our focus on creating a premier player experience designed exclusively for female athletes will set us apart.”
The new center will feature two regular courts, a fully equipped kitchen and areas dedicated to yoga and pilates. Additionally, the team said other features incorporated into the design include “a hair and nail salon, childcare space, and a podcast and content production studio to support players’ lifestyles.”
The Fever have their own self-contained training center in the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, which was last renovated in 2020.
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Clark’s historic rookie season generated record numbers for the WNBA in both viewership and attendance. For the first time in the league’s history, the league announced full-time charter flights for all its teams in May, which was expected to cost about $25 million per year for the next two seasons.
Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark reacts after making a three-pointer during the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Aug. 16, 2024, in Indianapolis. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
Las Vegas, Seattle and Phoenix have all opened new training centers in recent years, and Chicago has one under construction.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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