INDIANAPOLIS — Well, it went better than the first game.
Caitlin Clark scored nine points, grabbed seven rebounds and handed out six assists Thursday night as the Indiana Fever got blown out by the New York Liberty, losing 102-66. It was the Fever’s home opener, and more than 17,000 fans, many of them in Clark gear, showed up to cheer on the city’s newest, and most famous, resident.
Clark, the top pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, had another frustrating shooting night, connecting on just 2-of-8 attempts, including 1-of-7 from 3. She was hounded all game by Liberty guard Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, who turned in an impressive performance on both ends of the floor (Laney-Hamilton was a team-best +43, a stunning plus-minus; she also scored 12 points in the win).
Clark looked more comfortable, though, and had an important offensive burst late in the third quarter. She scored seven points in 81 seconds to help pull the Fever within 13, 67-54, late in the third quarter. But she didn’t score again after that, and her frustration with her play was visible.
Still, it was an improvement from her official WNBA debut Tuesday night, when she scored 20 points but also turned the ball over 10 times.
“It’s a process and she’s going to be fine,” Fever coach Christie Sides said after the game. “She’s figuring it out. She just needs to get a little bit of confidence. Right now I think she’s taking some shots that she would normally knock down but Betnijah is one of the best defenders in the league and she was making it really hard on her. We’ve got to do a better job of finding ways to get her some easier, more open looks.’
The Fever play the Liberty again Saturday in New York.
