Caitlin Clark's WNBA preseason debut looked a lot like her senior year at the University of Iowa. She hit a bunch of threes in front of a packed crowd.
However, the victory did not end there.
Just a few weeks after playing in the NCAA Championship Game, Clark made his WNBA debut with the Indiana Fever on Friday night in a preseason game against the Dallas Wings. She hit three 3-pointers in the first quarter and scored a game-high 21 points.
But it wasn't enough to win, as All-Star Arike Ogunbowale made a step-back 3-pointer with three seconds left to end the Fever, giving the Wings a 79-76 victory.
Clark made a 3-point shot to tie the game, and looked in agony, but it was wide of the target by the time the buzzer sounded.
Crowds on the road cheer Clark.
A crowd of 7,000 gathered at the College Park Center in Arlington, Texas, to watch Clark's debut. They cheered as she was introduced on her first game day 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 pulled up from beyond the arc on the right side and attempted his first 3-point shot in a WNBA uniform. This shot went through the net, giving the Fever a 5-2 lead.
A few minutes later she did it again. She extended Indiana University's first-quarter lead to 14-3 with her second three. She then drew a foul on a 3-pointer and made 2 of 3 free throws to extend the Fever lead to 16-9 midway through the first.
He made his third with 2:55 left in the quarter, putting fellow rookie and former Ohio State guard Jaycee Sheldon (No. 5 pick) on the floor. She slammed her former Big Ten rival down the court, getting open and pulling her up from the top of the arc.
Officials didn't see any contact that warranted a whistle, but Clark's three extended Indiana's lead to 19-15. Then she took her first break on the bench. By the time she finished the game, she had scored 11 of Indiana University's 19 points and hit 3 of 4 threes.
He returned early in the second quarter and picked up where he left off. This time, she pulled up two-time All-Star Natasha Clarke to set back three overs.
Clark's first assist went to Aliyah Boston.
Before the first half was over, she showed off the playmaking that made her the NCAA's leading scorer and assist leader last season. She did it alongside Aliyah Boston, last year's No. 1 pick and current WNBA Rookie of the Year.
Midway through the second quarter, Clark drove to the top of the key to draw a double team, allowing Boston to free up and attack the rim. Clark found Boston with a bounce pass through traffic that led to an open layup.
Clark was limited in foul trouble after halftime. She picked up her third and fourth fouls on back-to-back possessions in the third quarter and went to the bench midway through the quarter without hitting a bucket in the second half.
Caitlin Clark sparked from three in her WNBA preseason debut. (Gregory Shams/Getty Images)
She returned with 6:55 left in the fourth, giving Indiana a 62-60 lead. Her fifth 3 of the game gave Indiana a 67-65 lead.
However, Ogunbou Ale's late heroics spoiled her debut and secured the victory for Dallas.
Clark had 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 Jaelin Brown led Dallas with 21 points and five rebounds. Ogunbouyere had 19 points, three rebounds and three assists. Her final was her only success from long range in seven attempts.
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Caitlin Clark leads Fever in debut
Although it was not an official contest, Clark's streak of 20 points continued in his WNBA preseason debut. She scored her 21 points, a team-high on 5-of-13 completions, mostly from beyond the arc. She shot 40 percent overall and 4 of 5 from the free throw line. She is a point guard since December 2022, and she has never scored less than 20 points in a game.
The assists (2) weren't as easy as 3 seconds, and his chemistry with Boston (8 points, 4-10 FG) will take time to develop. Clark had three rebounds, two steals and committed a game-high five turnovers in 28 minutes, 10 seconds.
This game had a regular season feel from start to finish, and you could feel the atmosphere. Playing against bigger, stronger defenders every other night would make the game even tougher, but Clark proved the doubters wrong. She should be fine in the pros, and Indiana will be a fun team to watch as the season progresses.
In his postgame interview, Clark told four-time WNBA champion Sheryl Swoopes that he thought it was a “good kickoff to the WNBA season” and praised the atmosphere.She has some things to take care of.
“These are good learning experiences for us,” Clark said. “This doesn't count [in the standings]. [We’ll] Go back and watch the movie – movies don't lie – and learn from it. ”
Clarke tosses it up for the final shot and looks to equalize from the corner. It didn't go well, but what a WNBA debut for the NCAA's all-time leading scorer.
Arike is completely calm in the final minutes of the game (as fans of the college game will be familiar with).Her dirty stepback puts Dallas ahead 79-76 with 3 seconds left.
Please give a few words to Arike Ogunbowale. She hit a floater in the final minute of the game to tie the score at 76. Clark attempted a three but missed, Wheeler rebounded and Clark drove to a clear lane but was denied by Natasha Howard. Clark called for a foul, which was Howard's third block of the night.
A drawn game with a game time of 26.7 seconds, which is hard to believe in a preseason contest.
Clark had a blocked shot with 26.7 left, tying the score at 76. But there are only two seconds left on the shot clock…
The game was tied at 74 with 1:15 left and Clark was at the FT line.she sinks them both
I really like the side keeping their starters here in close games, even if it's just the preseason opener. WNBA training camps are very narrow, and the Fever's opening schedule is TOUGH (Connecticut, New York, Seattle, Las Vegas). Put them in their current situation, where ranking doesn't matter, and build from there.
Clark maxed out the game with five turnovers. Many are on very ambitious paths.
Of course, how about three more? Clark made the inbounds play with an assist from Erica Wheeler. Up to 19 points on 5-of-10 shooting from 3-point range.
The side replaced the starter with a sub at 6:26 of the fourth quarter.
Clark started on the bench in the fourth quarter. Narissa Smith is the only Fever starter. Tonight we'll find out if she has more time or if the side decide to see how players further down the depth chart handle a close game in the fourth quarter. Indiana lost 16 games by single digits last year, which is a growing pain considering the young players on the team.
It was a very beautiful pull-up by Jaelyn Brown for her 7th bucket of the game. She scored a game-high 17 points for Dallas and looks like a confident and comfortable veteran. If Brown doesn't make the Wings' roster, she'll likely end up on some hard contract to fill seven-day and 10-day stints throughout the season.
Clark headed to the bench after picking up his fourth foul with 4:50 left in the third quarter.
This was Clark's fourth turnover due to Dallas' strong defense. He had some turnover-heavy periods at Iowa, but playing against better defenders than he faced in college will be a focus for improvement throughout the season.
“Catch and shoot from DFW.”
I see, everyone was preparing for a long-distance location shoot.
Clark comes on to start the second half…
Half fever
It will be interesting to see how much playing time Clark gets in the second half. The Fever has 15 players in camp and will need to be down three players by the season opener on May 14th. Another home preseason game is scheduled for next week. Head coach Christie Sides will likely be looking to more of these players to earn a final roster spot.
The trio of Nalyssa Smith (16:31), Aliyah Boston (17:33) and Clark (16:05) played at least five more minutes than any other Fever player in the first half. It's all about the team and the starting position. Kelsey Mitchell (left ankle out) and Katie Lou Samuelson (right ankle out, returning from maternity leave) will join the expected starting lineup when they return.
The Fever led 48-40 at the half, with Clark scoring 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting (3-of-8).
