Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark will serve as grand marshal of the 110th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, race officials announced Tuesday. The green flag is set to drop at 12:45 p.m. ET at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and will be broadcast on FOX.
Clark’s role involves giving the traditional command for drivers to report to their cars during the official pre-race ceremonies. Other sports stars who have shared this honor include former Fever legend and 2012 WNBA champion Tamika Catchings, five-time MLB champion Derek Jeter, two-time Super Bowl winner Peyton Manning and three-time NBA champion Larry Bird.
“I’m honored to represent Gainbridge as grand marshal of the Indy 500,” Clark said in an official statement. “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.'”
The green flag, which indicates the official start of the race, will be waved by Academy Award-winning actor and Indianapolis native Brendan Fraser.
Since the race takes place during the WNBA season, Clark’s game schedule kept her from participating in race-week activities in previous years. However, this year’s schedule worked out in her favor. The Fever will be in the middle of a six-day break after Friday’s home game against the Golden State Valkyries.
Despite only being in her third WNBA season, Clark is already one of the biggest superstars in basketball. During her time with the Iowa Hawkeyes, Clark set an NCAA Division I career scoring record with a total of 3,951 points. The Fever selected Clark as the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 draft and she went on to win Rookie of the Year while setting the WNBA rookie record for total points scored in a single season, as well as the single-game assist record (19) and the single-season assist record (322).
“Since being drafted by the Fever, fans have been clamoring to share the epic celebration and thrilling excitement of Indy 500 Race Day with Caitlin,” INDYCAR and IMS President J. Douglas Boles said in a statement. “Through our incredible partnership with Gainbridge, everyone joining us for the world’s largest single-day spectator sporting event will get to do just that. Caitlin will bring unique energy and presence to a quintessentially Hoosier experience and an absolutely bucket list global sporting spectacle.”
The race is presented by online financial services company Gainbridge, a company Clark has been an ambassador for since her senior year with the Hawkeyes. The Fever play their home games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, which they also share with the NBA’s Indiana Pacers.
