BOSTON -- For the second year in a row, a sellout crowd of 19,156 fans descended upon Boston's iconic TD Garden to watch a WNBA game, with the host Connecticut Sun falling to Caitlin Clark's Indiana Fever Tuesday in an 85-77 battle that came down to the game's final minutes.
"It was an amazing experience," Sun star Tina Charles said. "It was a success, even though we didn't get the win."
Added Indiana's Natasha Howard: "Seeing all the banners up, to see how many athletes that came through here and did so much for this city, this state, [was cool]. I was really surprised how many people came out today, too."
The crowd marked the third-highest attendance for a WNBA game this summer, behind two other games featuring the Fever.
Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown was in attendance, along with other local star athletes, including Lucas Giolito of the Boston Red Sox and women's soccer legend Kristine Lilly.
The Sun -- who are based about 100 miles away in Uncasville, Connecticut -- held the franchise's first Boston game last August, when they beat the visiting Los Angeles Sparks.
Sun president Jen Rizzotti said the team was excited to return for the second year in a row.
"The energy and enthusiasm from the New England market last season was phenomenal, and we're proud to continue building that momentum and connecting with our New England fan base," Rizzotti said in a statement. "Women's basketball belongs on the biggest stages, and we will continue to reinforce and showcase that mission."
The crowd Tuesday leaned more pro-Fever and pro-Clark this time around, but Sun fans made their presence known as well, especially as last-place Connecticut kept the game close until Indiana pulled away down the stretch.
"I thought it was a lot of fun, to be honest," Indiana's Sophie Cunningham said. "There's so much history in this building. I've got some heat from saying stuff about cities, but I like Boston, man. I really like Boston. Y'all need to get a team here.
"I think just playing in the Garden, it's exciting. I think it's really cool to see all these fans come out, regardless of what city we're in. Kind of feels like a home game for us, but I think we really enjoyed it. We don't take these types of things for granted."
Boston has been increasingly brought up as a potential location for a WNBA franchise, either as a new expansion team or if the Sun were to relocate. Earlier this summer, the team confirmed the Sun's ownership group, the Mohegan tribe, is exploring all options to strategically invest in the team, including a potential relocation.
"I think it's exciting," Charles said of the prospect of having a team in Boston. "For me, my career and everything great that has happened has always been in the New England area. So I'll be No. 1 fan, regardless if I'm with the team or not. But I just think expansion and growth in the WNBA is very amazing. Young girls and boys can dream the way I dreamt when I was watching New York Liberty back in '97, so it'd be great for this area. The support, everyone that came out, I know everybody would love it to happen."