Caitlin Clark’s WNBA preseason debut played out much like her senior year at Iowa. She hit a bunch of 3s and did it in front of a packed house.
But it didn’t end in victory.
Just weeks after appearing in the NCAA championship game, Clark made her WNBA debut for the Indiana Fever on Friday night in a preseason game against the Dallas Wings. She made three 3s in the first quarter and scored a game-high 21 points.
But that wasn’t enough for the win as All-Star Arike Ogunbowale stopped the fever with a step-back 3-pointer with 3 seconds left in a 79-76 victory for the Wings.
Clark had a contested look, tying the score at 3, but he was way off the mark when the buzzer sounded.
The crowd on the road greets Clark with cheers
A crowd of 7,000 showed up at the College Park Center in Arlington, Texas, to witness Clark’s debut. They warmly applauded her first introduction as a WNBA player.
It didn’t take long for Clark to give fans what they paid to see. Less than a minute into the game, Clark stopped beyond the arc on the right wing for her first 3-point attempt in a WNBA uniform. It sank through the net to give Fever a 5-2 lead.
A few minutes later she did it again. His second 3 extended Indiana’s first-quarter lead to 14-3. She then fouled a 3-pointer and made 2 of 3 free throws to extend the Fever lead to 16-9 midway through the first.
His third made a 3 with 2:55 left in the quarter put fellow rookie and former Ohio State guard Jacy Sheldon (No. 5 pick) on the court. She hit her old Big Ten rival down the court to get open, then got up from the top of the arc.
The officials didn’t see enough contact to warrant a whistle, and Clark’s 3 extended Indiana’s lead to 19-15. She then took her first break on the bench. When she left the game, she had scored 11 of Indiana’s 19 points while hitting 3 of 4 3s.
When she returned at the start of the second trimester, she picked up where she left off. This time, she stopped for a step-back 3 over two-time All-Star Natasha Clark.
Clark’s first assist goes to Aliyah Boston
Before the end of the half, she showed off the play that made her the NCAA’s assists leader in addition to being its leading scorer last season. She did so in tandem with last year’s No. 1 overall pick and reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year, Aliyah Boston.
Midway through the second quarter, Clark reached the top of the key and drew a double team, allowing Boston free time to attack the rim. Clark found Boston with a bounce pass in traffic that led to an open layup.
Foul trouble limited Clark after halftime. She picked up her third and fourth fouls on consecutive possessions in the third quarter and went to the bench midway through the quarter without hitting a bucket in the second half.
Caitlin Clark caught fire from 3 in her WNBA preseason debut. (Grégory Shamus/Getty Images)
She came back with 6:55 left in the fourth and Indiana leading, 62-60. His fifth 3 of the game gave Indiana a 67-65 lead.
But Ogunbowale’s late exploits spoiled his debut and secured victory for Dallas.
Clark finished with 21 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals. She shot 6 of 15 from the floor and 5 of 13 from beyond the arc.
Undrafted rookie Jaelyn Brown led Dallas with 21 points and five rebounds. Ogunbowale had 19 points, three rebounds and three assists. His winning goal was his only long-range success in seven attempts.
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Caitlin Clark leads Fever in its debut
Although not an official competition, Clark’s 20-game streak continues in her WNBA preseason debut. She scored a team-high 21 points, mostly on a 5-of-13 outing from beyond the arc. She shot 40% overall and was 4 of 5 from the free throw line. The point guard has not scored fewer than 20 points in a game since December 2022.
The assists (two) weren’t as easy as the 3 and it will take time for the chemistry with Boston (eight points, 4-10 FG) to develop. Clark added three rebounds and two steals, along with a game-high five turnovers, in 28:10 of playing time.
This game felt like a regular season contest from start to finish and the atmosphere was great. It will become more difficult once the games are against bigger, stronger defenders every other night, but Clark proved all the doubters wrong. She will do well in the pros and Indiana will be a fun team to watch as the season progresses.
Clark told four-time WNBA champion Sheryl Swoopes in the postgame interview that she thought it was a “good kickoff to the WNBA season” and praised the atmosphere. There are little things she wants to clean
“These are good learning experiences for us,” Clark said. “It doesn’t count [in the standings]. [We’ll] go back and watch the movie – the movie doesn’t lie – and learn from it. »
Clark throws him on one last shot to try to equalize it from the corner. It’s not happening, but what a WNBA debut for the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer.
Arike is cold in the final minutes of games (as fans of the college game well know). It gives Dallas the advantage, 79-76, with a nasty setback of 3. Three seconds on the clock
Arike Ogunbowale would like to say a word to him. She evens the score at 76 thanks to a floater in the last minute. Clark attempts a 3 which misses, Wheeler rebounds, Clark enters an open lane and is denied by Natasha Howard. Clark calls for a foul – his first late-game plea for a call as a pro – but it’s Howard’s third block of the night.
Draw, 26.7 seconds on the clock in what doesn’t look like a pre-season competition at all
Clark blocked his shot with 26.7 left and the score was tied at 76. But there were only 2 seconds left on the shot clock…
Clark on the FT line with the game tied at 74 with 1:15 to play. She sinks both
I really like that Sides left their starters here in a close game, even though it’s a preseason opener. WNBA training camp is such a small window and the Fever’s opening schedule is TOUGH (Connecticut, New York, Seattle, Las Vegas). Now put them in a situation where it doesn’t matter in the standings and build from there.
Clark extends his game with five turnovers. Many on very ambitious passes.
Of course, 3 more, why not. Clark starts the inbounds play on an assist from Erica Wheeler. Up to 19 points shooting 5 of 10 from 3-point range.
Sides replaces his starters at 6:26 of the fourth quarter.
Clark is on the bench to start the fourth quarter. Fever’s only starter is NaLyssa Smith. We’ll see if she sees more time tonight, or if Sides decides to see how players lower on the depth chart handle a tight game in the fourth quarter. Indiana lost 16 games by single digits last year, a growing pain considering the team’s youth.
Such a nice pull-up from Jaelyn Brown for her seventh bucket of the game. She’s up to a Dallas-high 17 points and looks like a confident, comfortable veteran. If Brown doesn’t make the Wings’ roster, she’ll likely land tough contracts throughout the season to serve seven- and 10-day stints.
Clark heads to the bench after picking up his fourth foul with 4:50 left in the third quarter.
It’s Clark’s fourth turnover on another good defensive play by Dallas. There were times at Iowa where the turnovers piled up and that will be a focus for improvement throughout the season against better defenders than in college.
“Catch, shoot, from DFW.”
Everyone has prepared their calls remotely, I see.
Clark is here for the start of the second half…
Fever at half
It will be interesting to see how much playing time Clark gets in the second half. The Fever have 15 players in camp and must clear three before the season opener on May 14. There is still a preparatory match on the program next week at home. Head coach Christie Sides will likely want to see more of these players in the mix for final roster spots.
The trio of NaLyssa Smith (16:31), Aliyah Boston (17:33) and Clark (16:05) each played at least five more minutes than every other Fever player in the first half. All are locks for the team and starting positions. Kelsey Mitchell (out, left ankle) and Katie Lou Samuelson (out, right ankle and returning from maternity leave) will round out the projected starting lineup upon their return.
At halftime, the Fever led 48-40, with Clark posting 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting (4-of-8 from 3).
