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What Caitlin Clark Will Do as Grand Marshal of Indy 500 on Sunday

Clark will serve as the grand marshal for the Indianapolis 500.
Andrew Parsaud|
Caitlin Clark celebrates after a huge and-one against Storm.
Caitlin Clark celebrates after a huge and-one against Storm. | Doug McSchooler/Special to IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 2026 WNBA season is a huge one for Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, as she looks to put together a strong third year following injuries in 2025. Clark, who willed the Fever to a 2-2 start through their first four games, is averaging 24.3 points, 9 assists and 5 rebounds.

It just so happens that Clark will be the center of attention once again this weekend in Indianapolis, but not for basketball reasons. On Tuesday morning, Clark was announced as the Grand Marshal for this year's Indy 500.

"I'm honored to represent Gainbridge as Grand Marshal of the Indy 500," Clark said. "I'm looking forward to experiencing an iconic piece of what makes Indiana so special and being part of the time-honored tradition of 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.'"

So what will Clark exactly be doing? As the Grand Marshal, she'll give drivers the official command to report to their cars and start their engines. Clark will also participate in other pre-race festivities as an ambassador of Gainbridge.

Clark isn't the first Fever player to recently be involved with the Indy 500. Last year, teammate Lexie Hull sported an IMS jacket ahead of the big race. Hull was also chosen to raise a flag at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to celebrate the start of the IndyCar season.

Fever HC Stephanie White weighs in on Caitlin Clark as Grand Marshal of Indy 500

Clark's basically been everywhere this offseason and during the start of the regular season. She was chosen to walk out with Morgan Wallen during last weekend's concert. Now as the Grand Marshal of the Indy 500, the city simply can't get enough of their star player.

Fever head coach Stephanie White was excited for Clark to experience her first race.

"I think it's going to be a lot of fun," White said to reporters. "I'm not sure if she's been yet or not, but to experience that as the Grand Marshal, it's one of the highest honors you can get in the state of Indiana, so I think it's going to be a lot of fun for her."

Scheduling conflicts with the WNBA season in the past restricted Clark from participating in the Indy 500 before. If that weren't the case, she would've already been named the Grand Marshal years ago.

Clark and the Fever will host the Portland Fire on Wednesday and the Golden State Valkyries on Friday before her appearance at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

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Andrew Parsaud
ANDREW PARSAUD

Andrew Parsaud covers the Indiana Fever, the WNBA, and Los Angeles Chargers for On SI. With a bachelor’s degree in digital journalism and media from Penn State, he also specializes in digital content creation. Caitlin Clark and the Fever are now where his passion and expertise meet.

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