Fever vs. Brazil basketball game, explained: Why Caitlin Clark, Indiana are facing national team in Iowa

Gilbert McGregor

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Fever vs. Brazil basketball game, explained: Why Caitlin Clark, Indiana are facing national team in Iowa image

Caitlin Clark is headed back to play in Iowa City, Iowa. But this time, she'll be wearing an Indiana Fever uniform.

Over a year after playing her final college game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Clark is returning with the Fever as they gear up for the 2025 WNBA season. Indiana had a transformational offseason and looks to move toward title contention this season, and the preseason will give an idea of where the team is at on that journey.

Why are the Fever playing at the University of Iowa? Here is more on the game and their opponent, the Brazilian senior women's national team.

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Fever vs. Brazil basketball game, explained

The Fever will play the Brazilian national team at Iowa on Sunday, May 4. The game is part of an effort to fortify the connection between Hawkeye fans and Fever fans.

Standing at the center of that connection, of course, is Clark.

“We couldn’t be more excited to play at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, and we know Iowa fans will deliver an unforgettable homecoming for Caitlin,” Indiana Fever president of basketball operations Kelly Krauskopf said in a January statement.

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“Countless Hawkeye fans have become Fever fans, and we consider them family. That’s what will make this preseason matchup so special for us.”

At Fever media day on April 30, Clark expressed her excitement to return to the arena where she became a household name.

"I can't believe it's already here — I honestly haven't been back to Iowa City a ton since I left a year ago now," Clark said. "It'll be fun to get back there, see some of my former teammates, see some of my friends that are there — a lot of my family will be coming. I know they're excited."

Clark did make sure to issue a warning that the arena does not have air conditioning, and a game played in early May could feel much different than the ones she played through March during her college career.

Sunday's game continues a recent trend of WNBA teams scheduling exhibition games at venues where prominent players once starred. In 2024, A'ja Wilson and the Aces played the Puerto Rican national team at the University of South Carolina, and this year, LSU will host Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky when they face the Brazilian national team.

Fever vs. Brazil basketball game start time

  • Date: Sunday, May 4
  • Time: 4 p.m. ET | 3 p.m. CT

The Fever will tip off against the Brazilian women's national team around 4 p.m. ET (3 p.m. local time) on Sunday, May 4.

The game will air on ESPN in the United States.

Fever vs. Brazil basketball game ticket prices

Iowa made tickets for the game available, but they are, unsurprisingly, a hot commodity on the resale market.

Earlier in the week, the average resale price for tickets to Sunday's game is $440, according to Front Office Sports. Based on that figure, this will be the most expensive collegiate or professional game that Clark has ever played in.

And closer to game time, The Sporting News reported that the average ticket price had risen to $670.

Gilbert McGregor

Gilbert McGregor first joined The Sporting News in 2018 as a content producer for Global editions of NBA.com. Before covering the game, McGregor played basketball collegiately at Wake Forest, graduating with a Communication degree in 2016. McGregor began covering the NBA during the 2017-18 season and has been on hand for a number of league events.