Tonight’s game between the Washington Mystics and Indiana Fever at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore is more than a detour from CareFirst Arena in D.C. It’s a chance for the Mystics—and the WNBA—to remind fans what basketball is really about: high-level play, team identity, and growing the game beyond one player.

Yes, Caitlin Clark won’t be suiting up. The Fever sophomore guard is out with an injury, and some casual fans may grumble that the marquee attraction isn’t there. And some may be pissed about paying hundreds of dollars for lower level seats with the intent of seeing a player who won’t be playing. But for the Mystics fans in the stands and watching at home, the message from Washington is clear: the show goes on.

At 2-3, the Mystics are showing flashes of potential, especially with the early play of rookies like Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen, who are the two best rookies — so far — in the 2025 season. Brittney Sykes has been playing at her best this year as well. And Baltimore—just 40 miles from D.C.—offers fans in the general region a chance to watch professional basketball in their backyard given that Charm City doesn’t have a WNBA team or an NBA one for that matter.

The league can’t rely solely on the star power of one player, no matter how big her college following ... in 2024. Nights like these, especially if the Mystics can pull a big win tonight, are about building a fanbase that loves the team—a group that has won a championship relatively recently (in 2019, but still) and is forging a new era without Elena Delle Donne. The goal isn’t to convert every casual viewer into a hardcore fan overnight. It’s to give people a reason to care about the jersey, not just the name on the back.

So while Caitlin Clark headlines may dominate the airwaves, she won’t be playing tonight. So for the Mystics, tonight is a chance for the Mystics to win hearts the old-fashioned way: with hustle, cohesion, and pride.