The fans present at Iowa’s Carver-Hawkeye Arena witnessed what they expected: a stellar moment from Caitlin Clark.
This occurred during the Indiana Fever’s victory over the Brazilian women’s national team by a score of 108-44 in a WNBA exhibition game. The match also served as a triumphant return for the former Hawkeyes star.
Clark capped her outstanding performance with a three-pointer from approximately 36 feet away, just beyond where her logo with the number 22 is located on the court. From that same position, she scored a shot in her senior year at Iowa in 2024, setting a historic scoring record in women’s NCAA.
I don’t know if I shoot 36-foot three-pointers every day, but over 30 for sure. It was something spontaneous. Sometimes you don’t realize where you are.
Caitlin Clark
The audience, mostly dressed in Hawkeyes or Fever jerseys with Clark’s name and number 22, stood up and roared with excitement. The arena, with almost 15,000 spectators, vibrated with the energy of the moment.
Clark hit the three-pointer with 26.1 seconds remaining in the third quarter, knowing that he would not play the final period. This was his first game since September 25 of the previous season, when the Fever were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
Due to a lower leg injury, Clark did not participate in Saturday’s exhibition game in Indianapolis against the Washington Mystics, a precautionary measure to ensure her participation on Sunday. She finished the game with 16 points, 5 assists, and 6 rebounds, expressing her satisfaction at returning to action.
I hadn’t played a game in about 200 days, so I was a little nervous at first. The competitive spirit within me drives me to want to play very well for these fans.
Caitlin Clark
Clark highlighted the importance of the support that Iowa fans provide to her and the Fever in the WNBA.
It’s hard to put into words what this means to me. It’s almost overwhelming. I’m so grateful to be back in a place that continues to support me.
Caitlin Clark
Kelsey Mitchell scored 17 points. Aliyah Boston and Natasha Howard contributed 11 and 10 points respectively for the Fever, who will play their final exhibition game on Saturday against the Atlanta Dream and will begin the season at home on May 17 against the Chicago Sky.
Last season, Clark, Mitchell, and Boston were key pieces on the Fever team, which achieved a 20-20 record and returned to the WNBA playoffs for the first time since 2016. Offseason additions, such as Howard, DeWanna Bonner, and Sophie Cunningham, bring experience to the team.
Stephanie White, former Fever player and coach, leads the team this season. White, who played at Carver-Hawkeye Arena as a Purdue guard in the 1990s, has worked as a television analyst in numerous games at this venue. She highlighted the energy of the public.
It was electrifying. Feeling the energy gives you a boost. It’s the reason we all do what we do, to feed off these types of environments. Often, it’s difficult for fans to get to a WNBA city, and we have great college basketball fan bases all over the country who deserve the opportunity to see these women perform at the highest level.
Stephanie White
Regarding Clark’s triple, White commented:
That’s what she is, what she does. It was a good push and, of course, what everyone wants to see from Caitlin, especially in this scenario.
Stephanie White
Sunday’s game joined WNBA exhibition contests held Friday at Notre Dame and LSU, which were also billed as college “homecomings.”
