Holly Rowe was fighting back tears before Tuesday’s Indiana Fever-Toronto Tempo game in Canada, and the reason was easy to see: 19,000 people were in the building for women’s basketball.
The sideline reporter filmed herself reacting to the crowd before the game, saying she was trying to work while crying because of what the event represented. Rowe said she could not stop crying as she watched what had been built, calling the turnout something she was proud of.
The game was moved to Scotiabank Arena in Toronto to accommodate ticket demand, a sign of how much interest the matchup had created. For Rowe, that atmosphere was enough to make the moment personal. “I’m trying to work a basketball game tonight,” she said, “but I keep crying because look at what they have built. I literally cannot quit crying to do my job right now. I mean, we have 19,000 people coming tonight to watch women’s basketball and I’m just so proud.”
The Caitlin Clark effect remains part of the story
The larger backdrop is the continued pull of Caitlin Clark, who has helped drive more attention, better ratings and bigger crowds across the WNBA. The article notes that the Caitlin Clark effect had already happened with six teams last year alone, even though Clark missed a good portion of the season.
This was not the first time Rowe had been part of a major Caitlin Clark moment, either. On July 18, 2025, she interviewed Sabrina Ionescu after the three-point contest during the 2025 WNBA All Star Skills Challenge at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Later, on Aug. 18, 2026, Rowe interviewed Clark after the game against the Toronto Tempo at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada.
Rowe’s reaction before Tuesday’s game fit that broader picture. The event had grown enough to require a larger arena, and the crowd size showed that the demand for women’s basketball in Toronto was real. Sophie Cunningham even summed up the mood with one word: “awesome.”
For the WNBA, those kinds of moments matter. They are not just about one sold-out night or one emotional reporter. They are evidence that the league can turn a high-profile matchup into a major event, and that the audience is willing to show up when the stage feels big enough.
