They had to make up new rules to give themselves a chance against her.

They should have known better. Anybody who challenges Caitlin Clark to a half court shooting contest is in for a whooping, and the Indiana Fever rookie did not hold back on her new teammates.

Erica Wheeler on the combined excitement in the building with Caitlin Clark’s arrival and the Pacers playoff success:

“Indiana is Hollywood right now” pic.twitter.com/RIkTKBqTTI

— Pat Boylan Fever/Pacers (@PatBoylanPacers) April 29, 2024

New rules for Caitlin Clark

“Caitlin Clark wins the first halfcourt shot contest of the season,” posted the Indiana Fever account with a video of Clark swishing the 47-footer.

“… but Kelsey Mitchell says she needs to back up,” they added. The former Ohio State standout, who Clark passed on the NCAA scoring charts in 2024 en route to becoming the all-time leader, was furious that she had to play by the same rules as the prolific long-range shooter.

“She needs to start all the way back there because her regular shot starts right here!” Mitchell begged, pointing at the edge of the logo at mid court, where Clark made a habit of launching deep threes during her Iowa Hawkeyes career.

Indiana Fever forming chemistry

The half court shooting competition came the day after Clark broke the internet and a practice player’s ankles, drawing a hyped up reaction from fellow point guard Erica Wheeler.

Although teammates like Mitchell are a little envious of Clark’s talents, the preseason vibe is that the Fever are all rallying behind their new teammate, forming the foundation for a major turnaround in the struggling WNBA franchise.

“I see great team chemistry,” said the most liked response to the Fever’s video on Twitter/X.

Others added, “loving to see how the team is jelling” and “great environment to form a championship team.”