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Michael Voepel
INDIANAPOLIS — Caitlin Clark is not certain what number of consecutive 3-pointers she’s ever made in a sport, however she did recall 12 was essentially the most. That was in highschool in West Des Moines, Iowa.
Saturday, in opposition to the WNBA’s prime group the New York Liberty, she drained three in a row and 7 whole to led the Indiana Fever to a 102-88 victory, handing the defending champions their first loss this season.
Clark had a spectacular return to the Fever after lacking 5 video games with a quad damage. She totaled 32 factors, 9 assists and eight rebounds, accounting for 54 of the Indiana’s factors by her scoring and passing.
Clark’s presence on courtroom makes the Fever a special group. They misplaced 77-58 Tuesday at Atlanta, their season-low in factors. Saturday was their season excessive. The victory avenged a 90-88 loss to the Liberty on Could 24, the final sport Clark had performed earlier than being compelled to take a seat out for the primary time in her school or WNBA careers.
“Do not we at all times count on that type of sport from Caitlin?” Indiana coach Stephanie White mentioned, smiling. “I knew her adrenaline was going to be excessive to start out. She’s been itching to get again on the market. [Her scoring] carried us within the first half, after which everyone else carried us within the second half. Her decision-making was excellent; she did a extremely good job of getting everyone concerned, and that is what she does.”
Clark had 25 factors at halftime. She had a stretch within the first quarter the place she drained three straight triples and introduced the Gainbridge Fieldhouse sellout crowd of 17,274 to its ft. She hit the primary – a 33-footer – with 1:26 left within the quarter. She nailed a 27-footer 21 seconds later. Then got here a 31-footer 22 seconds after that.
“I noticed three in a row go in, so that provides you a whole lot of confidence,” Clark mentioned. “Even within the second half, all of them got here off my hand feeling actually good.”
Clark, who performed 31 minutes, 18 seconds, mentioned apart from being slightly winded a number of instances, she felt fantastic.
“My legs felt actually sturdy, I felt in fine condition,” she mentioned. “Plenty of that’s credit score to our medical group. They’ve saved me in form. Now for me, it is simply how I get well, particularly with the schedule that we now have developing.”
The Fever are at dwelling in opposition to Connecticut on Tuesday, their remaining sport within the Commissioner’s Cup standings, the place they’re now tied with New York at 3-1. Then between June 19-27, they play 5 instances, 4 of these on the highway. That features their first West Coast journey of the season, as they play at Golden State, Las Vegas and Seattle.
With each Clark and guard Sophie Cunningham (ankle) again, the Fever look able to tackle the remainder of the league. Admittedly, New York wasn’t at full energy; 2024 Finals MVP Jonquel Jones (ankle) and fellow submit participant Leonie Fiebich (abroad dedication for Germany for EuroBasket competitors) had been each out Saturday.
That impacted how the Liberty needed to play, and by the fourth quarter it had taken a toll. Guard Sabrina Ionescu led New York with 34 factors whereas ahead Breanna Stewart had 24 factors. Stewart additionally had essentially the most success of any Liberty defender in guarding Clark, holding her to simply 3 factors on 1 of 5 taking pictures. Clark bought 29 factors on 10 of 15 taking pictures in opposition to six different defenders.
“Credit score to Indiana, I believed they did a extremely good job right here,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello mentioned. “We had our moments … we had that run the place Stewie was guarding Caitlin Clark. However then they executed properly, and we had so many breakdowns in protection. They made pictures, they actually punished us at that finish making 17 3’s.”
Kelsey Mitchell (22 factors) and Lexie Hull (14) every had three 3-pointers. Cunningham, who had began the season sidelined by an ankle damage, performed 4 video games after which harm the ankle once more, had 5 factors however did her job defensively and completed at plus-31, the very best plus/minus on both facet.
The Fever additionally bought 10 factors off the bench from one other guard, Sydney Colson, because the Liberty held Indiana’s beginning posts, Aliyah Boston and Natasha Howard, to a mixed 14 factors. However Clark mentioned the Fever understood what New York was making an attempt to remove inside, which is why they centered a lot on perimeter offense.
“That is type of what they gave up — they had been going to allow us to shoot 3’s,” Clark mentioned. “Once we got here off of ball screens, they weren’t giving up the pocket as a lot. So we actually took benefit of what they had been giving us. That is what you must do once you play actually good groups.”
Each the Liberty and Minnesota Lynx, final yr’s WNBA Finals groups, misplaced their first video games of 2025 this week; Minnesota fell at Seattle on Wednesday. The Lynx bounced again with a 101-78 win over Los Angeles on Saturday. New York can attempt to do the identical Tuesday vs. Atlanta.
For Indiana, it was a wanted confidence increase to beat the Liberty, particularly after having gone 2-3 with Clark sidelined. Even with out DeWanna Bonner, who missed Saturday’s sport for private causes, the Fever had the depth and composure to beat New York.
“Emotionally, it is a aid, it is a elevate,” White mentioned. “The most important factor is, this group is resilient. It hasn’t been straightforward, and it is not going to be. Profitable is tough. You have to undergo the ups and downs, the ebbs and flows. This group, they keep collectively. They draw energy from each other, I draw energy from them. Each single day we take one step ahead collectively, we’re constructing belief.”