WNBA Star Caitlin Clark Lends Support to Pro Volleyball Team Despite Once Facing Community’s Heat

Caitlin Clark just has that magic touch, no matter what court she’s on. Whether it’s the basketball court or even the volleyball court, she’s always in the spotlight. But remember when she caught some serious heat from the volleyball community a few months ago when Nebraska Volleyball absolutely swept Washington off the court? During a post-game chat with Nebraska’s volleyball coach John Cook, the presenter threw this question at him: “Coach, you guys are so fun to watch, and you’re having a little bit of a Caitlin Clark effect. So what’s it like drawing these huge crowds everywhere you go?”

Cook, the seasoned pro, kept it cool and avoided any drama, giving this neutral reply: “It’s been bizarre, I mean, everywhere we go and I think this all started with a stadium match last year. There’s just the whole country knows about Nebraska Volleyball and, I mean we broke a record every place we go. They’re selling out. But it’s great for women’s volleyball.” Still, the comment didn’t fly under the radar. Kaleb Henry, Husker’s Max lead writer, posted his thoughts, saying, “JFC @BigTenNetwork really called Nebraska’s impact on volleyball attendance records ‘a little bit of the Caitlin Clark effect,’” with a little shade thrown in. And now, despite all that heat, Caitlin Clark is now showing love and support to a pro volleyball team.

Indy Ignite Pro Volleyball turned up the energy on Instagram this January 16th, sharing a snapshot of none other than Caitlin Clark herself from the electrifying Indy Ignite vs. Grand Rapids Rise game. The caption? A perfect nod to her crossover star power: “Two courts, one city. Thanks for joining us, @caitlinclark22. #IgniteTheFire #IndyIgniteVB.” Just imagine it—Caitlin Clark, the Indiana Fever’s basketball powerhouse, stepping onto the volleyball scene with style. A little bit of hoops, a little bit of spikes, and a whole lot of love for Indiana sports. Now that’s the kind of sports crossover we live for!

The Indy Ignite is simply scorching, maintaining their perfect record with a dominating straight-set triumph over Grand Rapids on Thursday. The Fishers Event Center match saw them win 3-0, 25-18, 28-26, 25-16 to take their record to a sparkling 2-0. Leketor Member-Meneh, the reigning PVF Player of the Week, was relentless with 17 kills and two startling service aces. Standing shoulder to shoulder with her, outside hitter Nina Cajic scored 16 kills, two aces and a block to ice it. And of course there’s setter Sydney Hilley who has provided 44 assists for the second match in a row, and she even threw in 3 kills from 3 attempts like it was nothing. This win took Ignite’s set-winning streak up to six, after their first performance last Saturday against Orlando, which set a franchise record with a 3-1 victory.

Switching gears back to Caitlin Clark—because hey, she’s the WNBA’s golden girl, isn’t she? She is tremendously popular, and when she came to the Indy Ignite volleyball game, everybody was talking about it, even the players! Ignite opposite hitter Azhani Tealer summed it up perfectly after the match: “It was pretty sick. She’s probably one of the most popular people in the world in the past year, so we’re glad she came. We’re thankful for that. She’s always welcome back.” Caitlin’s courtside vibes brought more than just star power—it’s a whole boost for women’s sports! With more professional volleyball leagues being formed in the U.S. and the third one just being formed, her support might be just what these leagues need to get off the ground.

Another year, another volleyball league!

Major League Volleyball (MLV) is set to launch in January 2026, this brand-new professional women’s volleyball league is coming in with guns blazing, thanks to $100 million in startup money. With at least 10 teams already lined up across the U.S., and Omaha Supernovas as the founding team, the league is already off the ground. From Wisconsin to Washington, California to Kentucky, these teams are owned by separate individuals, but all are part of the MLV’s premier league and strategy, so every match is as exciting as it is professional.

This league is all about empowering athletes, growing from the ground up, and making fans never forget about this league. This league is also recruiting star power both on and off the court with the founding partners of the league; including Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé, three time Olympic gold medal winner Kerri Walsh Jennings and pop star Jason Derulo among others.

With more and more girls participating in the sport and boys beginning to take up the sport in increasing numbers, volleyball is one of the hottest sports in high school today. The NCAA Championships in 2024 received more than 1.3 billion minutes of viewership—clearly, proof that fans can’t get enough of this sport. With NIL deals increasing for college athletes and leagues such as the Pro Volleyball Federation and LOVB leading the way, MLV is ideally placed to take volleyball to the next level. This is not about football; it’s about revolution, and this revolution is ready to take its place in the history.