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Caitlin Clark's highly anticipated preseason WNBA debut is set for Friday as the Indiana Fever travel to Texas to take on the Dallas Wings.

However, it will be a little harder than normal for Xfinity customers to watch the No. 1 overall pick and women's basketball phenom go up against the likes of Arike Ogunbowale, Natasha Howard, Jacy Sheldon and Maddy Siegrist.

Comcast Xfinity has dropped all Bally Sports regional networks. It was unable to come to an agreement with Diamond Sports — who operates all Bally Sports networks — on a new carrier agreement before Wednesday. As a result, Comcast Xfinity customers won't be able to find Bally Sports Indiana on their guide.

MORE:Watch Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever games with Bally Sports during Xfinity outage with Fubo (free trial)

Here's what you need to know on how to watch Clark debuts in the WNBA vs. the Wings:

Comcast Xfinity-Bally Sports outage, explained

Bally Sports Indiana, along with all the other Bally Sports regional networks, was removed from Xfinity on Wednesday as Comcast and Diamond Sports Group were unable to reach an agreement for Xfinity to continue carrying the networks.

As reported by ESPN, Diamond Sports Group and Comcast originally agreed to a six-month extension to their previous deal from the fall — which also was around the time DSG and the NBA agreed to a one-year deal for the 2023-24 season — but were not able to agree to a new multi-year contract by late Tuesday night's deadline.

"It’s disappointing that Comcast rejected a proposed extension that would have kept our channels on the air and that Comcast indicated that it intends to pull the signals, preventing fans from watching their favorite local teams,” Diamond Sports Group said in a statement. “Comcast has refused to engage in substantive discussions despite Diamond offering terms similar to those reached with much larger distributors of ours.

“We are a fans-first company and will continue to seek an agreement with Comcast to restore broadcasts, and at this critical juncture for Diamond, we hope that Comcast will recognize the important and mutually beneficial role Diamond and RSNs play in the media ecosystem.

"In the meantime, fans in Comcast regions can access our networks through subscriptions to Fubo, DirecTV or DirecTV STREAM or through our direct-to-consumer offering, Bally Sports+ for the teams for which Diamond retains DTC rights.”

REQUIRED READING:Fever's Aliyah Boston won't say how much stronger she is but you can't miss the difference

How to watch Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever basketball without Xfinity

While Xfinity customers won't be able to watch Clark's WNBA preseason debut on Bally Sports regional networks due to the Bally Sports blackout, they can still stream it on the Bally Sports+ app. They can also stream it on Fubo, which carries Bally Sports and offers a free trail to select users.

The game is also available for free on the WNBA app through the WNBA League Pass.

How to download Bally Sports app

Bally Sports+ can be accessed multiple ways. All customers need to do is create an account and subscribe to the streaming platform. One can stream it on BallySports.com, Amazon Fire, Android TV, Apple TV, Roku, Samsung TV’s and mobile/tablet devices (iOS and Android).

Click here to view instructions on how to download BallySports+.

Bally Sports bankruptcy update

The first domino of the Bally Sports bankruptcy that hit was when Diamond Sports Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy back in March 2023. This forced the hands of MLB to take over the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks' broadcasts, as Diamond Sports Group was unable to pay for its rights to these teams. It also created several blackouts among the other 12 MLB markets that had broadcasting rights with Bally Sports regional networks.

As recently as Wednesday, Diamond Sports Group came to an agreement with both Charter and DirecTV — two of the other big carriers it works with — to continue carrying the Bally Sports regional networks. As noted by ESPN, Xfinity and Diamond Sports not being able to come to an agreement before their deadline this week may jeopardize Bally Sports' restructuring June confirmation hearing in bankruptcy court.

The restructure plan for Diamond Sports Group includes a $100 million investment from Amazon to become the primary streaming partner for the company.

Indiana Fever schedule: TV, times, dates

Here are Clark's first five games, including the preseason, with the Fever.

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DALLAS — It’s officially the day Indiana Fever fans have been waiting for. The day Caitlin Clark, one of the most-hyped picks in WNBA history, makes her debut.

Clark and the Fever open the preseason tonight against the Dallas Wings at College Park Center on the UT-Arlington campus. The 7,000-seat arena is sold out — an oddity for most WNBA regular-season games, much less a preseason game.

More:Caitlin Clark, welcome to WNBA... and commercial flights. 'Will definitely be an adjustment.'

More:Fever's Aliyah Boston won't say how much stronger she is but you can't miss the difference

“I would’ve liked to start at home, but just throw me out into the fire, why not,” Clark joked. “It’ll be fun, and it’ll be a great crowd, as always.”

This game will be crucial for the Fever, who are experimenting with new lineups both in the first and second teams. The first team Indiana will potentially run with is Clark, guard Erica Wheeler, small forward Katie Lou Samuelson, forward NaLyssa Smith and center Aliyah Boston.

“It's exciting, right?,” Fever coach Christie Sides said. “This is what we've been waiting on. I mean, it's gonna be fun. So we're going to embrace it. I mean, we're gonna come out here and we're gonna you know, our goal is to be the hardest playing team in the league.”

Kelsey Mitchell, the Fever’s longest-tenured player, is doubtful with an ankle injury. Mitchell will likely slot back into the starting lineup once she returns, and Sides said she was day-to-day.

This first preseason game will also be crucial for Clark, who will be seeing live action in the WNBA for the first time.

“Obviously, there’s so much you can do in practice, but you become very familiar with what other teams are doing,” Clark said. “They’ll do some stuff that we don’t do. Coming into this game, you can scout and know some things of what they’re going to do, but they’re going to do some new stuff, they’re going to do some different stuff, but I think more than anything, coaches said, ‘Don’t be surprised by anything they do.’”

So, what will success look like for Clark in her inaugural professional game? The player who set 46 collegiate records isn’t putting any numbers on it right away.

“I don’t think it’s any statistical measurements, it’s just a feel as a basketball player,” Clark said. “Did you go out there, did you work hard, did you give it every single thing you had. I want to step on the court, then I want to leave the court tonight feeling that I played like Caitlin Clark, I played like I have my entire life.”

For the first time in a while, too, Clark said she won’t have any family coming to the game. While her mom considered flying down to Dallas, she said her parents need time to recover from all the travel they did with her for the Final Four, awards circuit and WNBA draft.

"They'll be watching on TV," Clark joked. "I'm sure they'll be nervous, I don't know why, but that's just what they do ... I'm flying solo, I better get used to it, man, this is the pros. This is my job."

ARLINGTON -- The Rangers’ starting pitching depth has already been tested throughout the young 2024 season, and they might have just been handed another challenge on Thursday.

Texas ace Nathan Eovaldi was cruising in the Rangers' 6-0 win over the Nationals in the series finale at Globe Life Field, having dealt five shutout innings before things hit a speed bump. Eovaldi left the game with one out in the sixth inning with right groin tightness.

Eovaldi opened the top of the sixth by getting a lineout from CJ Abrams before issuing a one-out walk to Nick Senzel. He threw one more pitch to Luis García Jr. -- a 93.8 mph four-seamer for a strike -- before pitching coach Mike Maddux, manager Bruce Bochy and head trainer Matt Lucero popped out of the dugout to chat with Eovaldi on the mound.

Whatever was said, a decision was made quickly, and Eovaldi left the game. His next start is scheduled for Tuesday in Oakland, and he will continue to be evaluated until then.

Eovaldi said he felt a strain on the pitch to García and thought he would be OK after a couple of warmup pitches. The staff then decided to play it safe and remove him from the game. The plan is for him to travel with the club to Kansas City and proceed with imaging there.

Rookie reliever Jacob Latz took over for Eovaldi, getting a strikeout and a groundout to end the inning, stranding Eovaldi’s inherited runner on first base.

The Rangers already have four starters on the injured list: Max Scherzer, Cody Bradford, Tyler Mahle and Jacob deGrom.

They also have a scheduled doubleheader in Oakland on Wednesday, when they will likely already need a spot starter. It’s unclear how much rest, if any, Eovaldi will need before his next start, but Texas will no doubt be cautious with its ace regardless of the schedule.

“It's early in the year, right?” Eovaldi said. “We’ve got to make sure that we’re cautious with it and see how it feels tomorrow. It is very early in the year and again, the rotation, everybody's firing on all cylinders right now. The bullpen is doing well. So we’ll just play it by ear.”

Before he left the game, it was vintage Eovaldi though. He allowed just two hits -- doubles from García and Abrams -- and two walks while striking out eight. He said he had a good feel for all of his pitches, especially the splitter and curveball, as he looked well on his way to another quality start.

“He kind of messes with your timing a little bit every once in a while,” said Nats outfielder Jesse Winker. “He seems to do that at a time you’re least expecting it. He’s the definition of a true vet, it seems. He just really knows how to get outs and make really quality pitches. Hats off to him, it was a good outing by him.

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“For a lefty [batter] at least, he kind of comes with a little crossfire feel. He’s just a good pitcher, man. He’s just a good pitcher and he knows how to pitch.”

Behind Eovaldi, Texas’ bullpen finished off the win with 3 2/3 scoreless innings. Rangers relievers have not allowed an earned run over their last four games and have a 0.57 ERA in their last 10 games.

The pitching staff as a whole allowed just two runs over the three-game set against the Nationals, with quality starts from Jon Gray and Andrew Heaney, phenomenal bullpen work and another solid start from Eovaldi before the injury.

“You give up two runs in a series, that shows you how impressive they were,” Bochy said. “We’ve faced some good arms, too, so you need your pitching to come through. It started to get contagious out there with them. They all did a great job. That's where it all starts, on the mound.”

ARLINGTON -- Trevor Williams added a new job experience to his Major League resume on Wednesday in the Nationals’ shutout against the Rangers.

“Magician,” manager Dave Martinez said. “He got out of some tough situations.”

The veteran right-hander improved to 3-0 and lowered his ERA to 2.27 in the Nationals’ 1-0 win at Globe Life Field. He delivered five scoreless innings with five hits, four walks and three strikeouts across 79 pitches.

Williams incorporated an extra element into this outing -- he escaped two bases-loaded, no-out jams unscathed. The last pitcher to do this twice in one game was Iván Nova on March 30, 2018, in innings one and five as a member of the Pirates against the Tigers, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

“Believe it or not, I’ve been there before,” Williams, 32, said with a laugh. “... Your thought process is one pitch at a time and to trust what you’re hearing in the PitchCom. You just trust that as a pitcher, no matter what, you have the advantage. You’re trying to execute your pitches first, but you’re trying to exploit the hitter wanting to do a little too much.”

In the second inning, Williams allowed three consecutive singles to Adolis García, Evan Carter and Josh Smith. He locked in to get Wyatt Langford to hit a grounder to third that turned into a forceout at home plate, then struck out Jonah Heim on a foul tip and induced a groundout from Leody Taveras.

“I really think his mixes of pitches [helped get out of the jam],” said Martinez. “I think he and Riley [Adams] really worked good together. He threw some really, really, really good pitches in moments to get out of the inning.”

Williams concluded his evening three innings later with the same composure. A pair of singles by Taveras and Marcus Semien combined with a walk to Corey Seager loaded the bases again. Nathaniel Lowe tapped one back to Williams that he turned into a forceout at home, García was caught swinging and Carter popped out to shortstop.

“I guess you can say he kept his poise,” said Rangers manager Bruce Bochy. “He has a good sinker and a good slider and he just made pitches when he had to.”

Williams has not allowed a home run in his last 39 1/3 innings pitched, dating back to Sept. 10, 2023. He holds the longest active homerless streak among Major League starters. In comparison, Williams gave up 34 home runs last season, tied for the fourth most among all pitchers.

“For me, it was the ability to change speeds and keep the ball down. He’s been doing it all year,” said Martinez. “We talked last year, he threw a lot of balls up. That’s where the home runs came. This year, he’s really keeping the ball down, pitching effectively up when he needs to, but he’s really mixing his pitches and keeping everything down.”

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Williams set the tone as the bullpen awaited its call. Derek Law, Dylan Floro, Hunter Harvey and Kyle Finnegan combined to finish off the shutout with four frames of one-hit ball.

“He knows that he’s never out of it,” said Finnegan, who earned his 10th save of the season by striking out the side. “He gets a lot of soft contact. … As soon as you get to one pitch away, you know you’re a double play away from getting out of it. You almost start feeling good about it, because the hitters are trying to do damage there and sometimes you can take advantage of that. … He’s got a lot of weapons and he keeps guys off-balance.”

By navigating through high-leverage situations in a one-run game against the Rangers, Williams could earn a spot in the Nationals’ record books (2005-present) in his next outing. He is one start away from tying Gio González for the longest streak of starts (seven, April 7 to May 11, 2012) without giving up a home run to open the season.

“He battles,” said Martinez. “I always say, the guy, he grinds and he battles and he did a great job today.”

The Texas Rangers have lost another starting pitcher to injury. Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right groin strain, the team announced Friday. Righty reliever Yerry De Los Santos was called up in a corresponding move.

Eovaldi, 34, exited Thursday's start after experiencing tightness in his groin in the sixth inning. He went for tests Friday.

"We were being cautious," Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said following Thursday's game (via the Dallas Morning News). "It did tighten up a little. There was no point in pushing it. I'll have better answers [Friday]. I think, with what we're talking about here, yeah, he may need some rest. That's what we're going to find out. We're going to take care of him and do what's right."

Eovaldi has a long injury history -- he has visited the injured list at least once every season since 2016 with the exception of 2021 -- though the good news is his arm is healthy. This is a groin injury. That said, it will cost him at least 15 days. Eovaldi is the fifth Texas starting pitcher on the injured list. Here is the club's rotation depth chart at the moment:

Scherzer started a minor-league rehab assignment last week, though he was scratched from his second rehab outing Tuesday with soreness in his thumb. It's unclear when he'll make his next rehab start. deGrom and Mahle will not return until the second half, and Bradford's injury is expected to sideline him for at least another few weeks.

The Rangers do not have an off-day until next Thursday and will need someone to make Eovaldi's next start on Tuesday, and also someone else to start one game of Wednesday's doubleheader. Top prospect Jack Leiter, who had a rough MLB debut last month, would seem to be a candidate to make one of those starts.

Despite all the injuries, Rangers starters enter play Friday with a 3.65 ERA. The offense has been a much bigger issue lately. The Rangers are averaging 4.53 runs per game, 16th in baseball, and they're averaging 3.44 runs in their last nine games.

Texas entered Friday's series opener with the Kansas City Royals with a 17-15 record. They are a half-game behind the Seattle Mariners in the AL West.