Sydney Shrewsbury, the recently minted Miss Indiana USA, made a striking entrance at the Miss USA 2025 preliminary competition on Tuesday.

The 24-year-old contestant paid homage to WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark by donning a custom outfit inspired by the basketball phenom. Shrewsbury was taking part in the state costume portion of the competition’s preliminaries at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada.

And she was stunning.

Her ensemble featured a sparkling blue and gold gown bedazzled with Hoosier State flair, complete with crystal-studded elements and accessorized with a basketball-shaped purse that gleamed under the stage lights.

She even tossed in a robe. Or cape. Or who the heck cares, really? It looked amazing.

Shining. Stealing the spotlight. Just like Caitlin.

Honoring Caitlin Clark

As one of 51 contestants vying for the national title, Shrewsbury’s bold choice to honor Indiana icon Caitlin Clark helped blend beauty pageant glamour with sports fandom.

Naturally, the outfit drew widespread attention and social media buzz. Fans and observers praised the tribute as a perfect fusion of Indiana pride.

“@missusa & @missuniverse are both organizations that empower women, so of course I decided to pay tribute to @caitlinclark22 for my state costume,” the ravishing beauty wrote on Instagram. “We had too much fun shooting some teaser content.”

Not nearly as much fun as we’re having watching it. Although judging by the way Shrewsbury handled the rock during the photoshoot, she should definitely stick to modeling on the runway.

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Here’s what’s next

The state costume phase of the pageant is meant to showcase “where the contestants display custom outfits that show admirable qualities of their state.”

Clark is an admirable icon for the state of Indiana, based on promoting women’s sports. And Shrewsbury is admirable for empowering women in her own right.

“In 49 states, it’s just basketball, but this is Indiana. Sydney’s costume represents the iconic Caitlin Clark, her impact on women’s sports, and basketball’s influence on the Hoosier state,” an announcer states on a video posted to X.

Shrewsbury’s heartfelt tribute not only captivated the audience but also underscored the unifying power of sports icons like Caitlin Clark in elevating Indiana’s cultural spotlight on the national stage.

Preliminary competition rounds for the Miss USA pageant will continue throughout the week, culminating in the final night of competition on Friday.

We hope to see more of Shrewsbury in the near future. Of course, we will likely do so as the Miss USA pageant progresses.

We also look forward to seeing Clark return to the court next season.