If you ask most Patriots players, one of their favorite things about spring in Foxborough is going out to support the other professional sports teams in New England.
Usually, they're attending Boston Celtics and Bruins playoff games, or perhaps hanging around Gillette Stadium to catch a New England Revolution match.
But Tuesday, with the Connecticut Sun opening their season against none other than Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever, four Patriots felt especially compelled to make the drive to Mohegan Sun Arena on a weeknight.
"It's exciting," said wide receiver Kendrick Bourne of the opportunity to see the NCAA phenom's WNBA debut.
"Obviously, Caitlin Clark is a living icon so it's dope to see her, and it's also cool to support the WNBA team right here in New England at the same time. Seeing Caitlin finally playing in the presence of these women, seeing the competitiveness and energy, it's fun to be here right now."
Quarterback Bailey Zappe and receivers DeMario Douglas and Tyquan Thornton joined Bourne for the Sun's sold-out home opener, where Connecticut defeated the Indiana 92-71.
The WNBA team gifted the Patriots players custom jerseys with their names and numbers, and by chance, they got to meet the Ying Yang Twins who performed at halftime.
Sun forward DeWanna Bonner's 20 points made her fifth in all-time scoring in the WNBA, and Thornton was thrilled to leave Mohegan Sun with one of her jerseys. Clark finished with 20 points and three assists in the first game of her WNBA career, and Fever teammate Aliyah Boston, three-time Gatorade Massachusetts Player of the Year, recorded four points, six rebounds, and two assists.
"Everything New England is known for in sports, for her to grow up here and do the right things to get to this level is so impressive," Bourne said of Boston, who attended Worcester Academy before winning an NCAA title with South Carolina and being named WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2023.
"It says a lot about the sports culture here so congrats to her."
For Bourne, attending the WNBA game was especially enjoyable from his perspective as a father.
"Being a girl dad is great, and I want my girls to look up to women like this who work hard, have reached their goals, and are doing things that a lot of girls probably dream of," Bourne said. "That's what these women represent playing on this court and definitely something I want to teach my girls growing up."
Earlier in the week, Patriots rookies Drake Maye and Ja'Lynn Polk attended their first Bruins game, mic'd up as they sat against the glass for Game 4 of Boston's series against the Florida Panthers.
Players also attended the Revolution’s match in late April with Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF in town.
