Caitlin Clark had her strongest game yet in her professional career, but it wasn’t enough for the Indiana Fever to secure their first win of the season.
Breanna Stewart led New York’s offense with 24 points in a well-rounded performance, guiding the Liberty to a 91-80 victory over Clark and the Fever. Clark, however, showcased her talent with 22 points, along with eight assists and six rebounds, although she also committed eight turnovers.
“I felt like I gave it my all and focused on playing harder,” Clark commented. “That’s going to be my main focus moving forward: to compete and give my best effort. Our whole team showed that determination.”
This matchup, marking Clark’s debut in New York and the Liberty’s home opener, generated over $2 million in ticket revenue, setting a WNBA record, according to a source familiar with the situation who requested anonymity.
Stewart reflected on the significance of Clark’s presence in the league, highlighting the growth in revenue since she joined. “When I first entered the league, some teams struggled to make revenue… It’s a significant milestone, but there’s still more progress to be made,” she emphasized.
It was the second time these teams faced each other in a row, finishing a home-and-away series. New York had a big win by 36 points on Thursday, but this game saw the Fever put up a stronger fight, mainly because of Clark’s impressive performance.
“It was an improvement, but we’re not satisfied,” said Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell. “We didn’t lose by a big margin, so that’s a positive.”
Clark, who was the top pick in the WNBA draft, had been averaging 14.5 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.5 rebounds for the Fever. This was her first game in New York since her college days, as Iowa never played there, and neither did her high school or AAU teams.
“This arena is fantastic. It’s exciting for me to visit all the WNBA arenas and experience them,” Clark said. “This one is definitely special. I’m expecting a great crowd tonight, so I’m just going to enjoy it.”
Clark attracted many sports celebrities to the game, including Billie Jean King, Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, Michelle Wie West, and Dawn Staley. Actor Jason Sudeikis, who attended some of Clark’s college games, was also present.
The NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer had a strong start in the first quarter, scoring 10 points and making four of her five shots. Clark, who only scored nine points in the previous game between the teams, even made a long-range 3-pointer right after a foul was called.
The officials reviewed the play and decided that the shot was taken after the foul, so the long-range 3-pointer didn’t count.
Despite a strong start, Indiana was behind 33-22 after the first quarter and trailed 57-37 at halftime. New York had a 56% shooting accuracy in the first half, making 12 of 18 shots from beyond the 3-point line.
The second half didn’t improve much for Indiana, as New York continued to shoot well and make 3-pointers.
All five of New York’s starters made at least two 3-pointers in the game, with the team making a total of 15. Indiana couldn’t narrow the gap to single digits, but Clark impressed the crowd with two impressive deep 3-pointers that drew excitement.
