For over a decade, basketball fans in the Bay Area have flocked to the home of the Golden State Warriors early before tipoff to catch Steph Curry go through his patented pregame routine.

On Thursday night, another sharpshooter received that same treatment—Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark. Clark and the Fever battling the Golden State Valkyries for the first time Thursday night at Chase Center—the same arena Curry has called home since its inception in 2019.

Playing on the same court as one of her childhood heroes wasn't lost on Clark.

“I told Kate [Martin] this after shootaround—this arena is absolutely incredible," Clark said before the game. "I'm excited to play here; it's my first time. I grew up watching Steph. To me, he's one of the greatest basketball players of all time. ... I think he's really changed the way basketball is being played.

"Maybe, at times, me and him both—kids shouldn't always just go and chuck up a bunch of threes," she continued with a smile. "But that's what makes the game so exciting. ... It’s cool to be here. He’s somebody I idolize.”

Curry, the all-time leading three-point shooter in NBA history, paved the path for sharpshooters like Clark to star on basketball's biggest stage. Clark set a bit of history herself from beyond the arc last year, becoming the all-time WNBA record holder for three-pointers as a rookie (122).

Clark and the Fever are off to a 6–5 start this season. Through six games on the floor, Clark is averaging 21.3 points per game while shooting 44.7% from the field and 40% from three-point range.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Caitlin Clark Lauds Steph Curry During First Visit to Chase Center for Fever-Valkyries.

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