Caitlin Clark has been named grand marshal of this year’s Indy 500, tasked with giving the starting command at Sunday’s sold-out race. Organizers cited scheduling constraints that previously kept the two-time WNBA All-Star from race week activities, while Clar
INDIANAPOLIS — Caitlin Clark will stand at the center of race day this Sunday, stepping into one of the most recognizable roles at the Brickyard with the responsibility of giving the starting command before a sold-out Indianapolis 500.
Race organizers announced Tuesday that the two-time WNBA All-Star has been chosen as this year’s grand marshal. It will be a long-awaited trip for the former Iowa star, whose basketball schedule had previously prevented her from joining the Indianapolis 500 race week activities.
Clark’s connection to the sport-and-racing intersection isn’t new, either. Last May. the Indiana Fever played a home game the day before a rare Indianapolis 500–Indiana Pacers doubleheader. and the team also appeared on race weekend during Clark’s rookie season in 2024. This week. however. the Fever’s schedule keeps race-week momentum moving in the usual basketball rhythm: they host expansion Portland on Wednesday and Golden State on Friday before taking a six-day break.
“I’m honoured to represent Gainbridge as grand marshal of the Indy 500,” Clark said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to experiencing an iconic piece of what makes Indiana so special and being part of the time-honoured tradition of ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.’”
Clark’s presence arrives as her career has continued to reshape attention around women’s basketball. She has helped push the game “to new heights” in both the college and professional ranks. with sellout crowds becoming a recurring theme and even leading some opponents to move games to larger venues.
In the WNBA, Clark was the league’s No. 1 draft pick in 2024 and went on to win Rookie of the Year that season. She also broke multiple records, including the WNBA’s single-season assists mark. Her résumé includes being the NCAA’s career scoring leader. and she recently became the first player in WNBA history to record a second double-double with 30 or more points and 10 or more assists.
Her off-season work also has an international thread. Earlier this year, she was selected MVP of the 2026 FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament after returning from an injury-plagued second pro season.
For the Indy 500. it means another high-profile celebrity will join the long list of figures who have commanded the start at the Brickyard. Among those previously selected are former baseball stars Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. award-winning singer Blake Shelton. actor Dylan Sprouse and actor Stephanie Beatriz.
Doug Boles, the president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, framed Clark’s role in distinctly Hoosier terms. “Since being drafted by the Fever. fans have been clamouring to share the epic celebration and thrilling excitement of Indy 500 race day with Caitlin. ” Boles said. “Caitlin will bring unique energy and presence to a quintessentially Hoosier experience and an absolutely bucket list global sporting spectacle.”.
The connection extends beyond the ceremonial podium. Clark has served as a brand ambassador for Gainbridge — the race sponsor with naming rights to the Fever’s home arena — since her senior year in college, and she is currently appearing in a second ad campaign with the company.
By the time the starting command is delivered, it won’t just be a crossover moment. It will be the kind of event-day convergence that fans have been asking for, turning a sold-out Indy 500 into something even more globally visible through one of basketball’s biggest stars.
Caitlin Clark Indy 500 Indianapolis Motor Speedway grand marshal starting command Indiana Fever Gainbridge WNBA Iowa Hawkeyes sold-out race Doug Boles