Caitlin Clark Shines in Return and Guides the Fever to Victory
INDIANAPOLIS – Caitlin Clark had an outstanding performance on Saturday, scoring 32 points, her season high, in her return after a five-game absence due to an injury. Her performance propelled the Indiana Fever to a resounding 102-88 victory over the New York Liberty.
Clark finished with 11 of 20 field goals, including seven three-pointers, tying her personal WNBA record in 14 attempts. In the first half, she had already accumulated 25 points.
With Clark present on the court, the Fever (5-5) set a franchise record with 17 three-pointers made out of 35 attempts (48.6%). In addition, Clark dished out nine assists and grabbed eight rebounds.
This was Clark’s third WNBA game where she scored at least 30 points, grabbed at least five rebounds, and dished out at least five assists.
Kelsey Mitchell contributed 22 points, Lexie Hull with 14, Aliyah Boston scored 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and Sydney Colson, off the bench, added 10 points. It was the first time this season that Indiana reached three digits in points.
During Clark’s absence, the Fever had a 2-3 record due to a quadriceps strain.
Sabrina Ionescu of the Liberty scored a season-high 34 points on 11-of-20 shooting, including 4-of-10 from three-point range. Breanna Stewart added 24 points and Nyara Sabally scored 10 for the Liberty (9-1), who suffered their first loss of the season.
The Liberty took a 17-6 lead before Clark took control in the final three minutes of the first quarter. She converted a three-point play with 3:06 left, then hit three-pointers from 33, 27 and 31 feet in three consecutive possessions in 38 seconds to tie the score at 24.
The Fever led 53-50 at halftime before New York started the third quarter with a 9-0 run. Indiana responded with a 17-0 run and finished the quarter with an 80-71 lead. The Liberty got within 85-82 with a pair of Ionescu free throws with six minutes left, but couldn’t get any closer.
