Caitlin Clark Shines in Spectacular Return
After missing five games due to a left quadriceps injury, young star Caitlin Clark made an impressive return with 32 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds, leading the Indiana Fever to a convincing 102-88 win over the New York Liberty in a match that many fans had been waiting for. The first quarter saw Clark’s incredible explosion when she scored 25 points, helping the home team Indiana (5-5) turn the situation around from an 11-point deficit to gradually take the initiative on the court against a strong opponent like the New York Liberty.
With an impressive shooting percentage of 11/20 from the field, Clark set a new personal record by successfully making 7 three-point shots, including many from very far beyond the arc, leaving the audience and opponents in awe of her world-class long-range shooting ability.
The 32-point performance was Clark’s second career high, just three shy of her 35-point performance against the Dallas Wings on September 15, and showed the consistency and class of a rising star in the US women’s basketball scene. The first quarter saw Clark completely dominate as she scored 14 points, especially three consecutive three-pointers in the final 86 seconds, helping the Indiana Fever turn an 11-point deficit into a stunning lead. The third quarter was Clark’s moment of true brilliance as she scored a beautiful layup, a three-pointer and two final free throws, helping the home team take a 72-59 lead with 3 minutes, 43 seconds left on the clock.
Clark’s outstanding performance not only excited the fans at the stadium but also attracted the attention of the world’s top basketball superstars, typically LeBron James immediately tweeted praise: “CC Effect!! Welcome back! We missed you!”
Clark was not the only star to shine in this match as Kelsey Mitchell had a commendable performance with 22 points, especially 10 important points in the fourth quarter, including the decisive three-point shot that helped the team lead 99-84 with 2 minutes and 12 seconds left.
The comprehensive contribution from the Indiana players was clearly demonstrated through the achievements of Lexie Hull with 14 points and Aliyah Boston with a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds, creating a strong and even team on all fronts.
This victory was especially important as the Indiana Fever prevented the New York Liberty from becoming the fourth team in WNBA history to open the season with 10 consecutive victories, while asserting their strength with a successful shooting rate of 48.1% from the field and 17/35 three-point shots.
As for the New York Liberty (9-1), despite commendable efforts from Sabrina Ionescu with 34 points (11/20 successful shots) and Breanna Stewart with 24 points, they still could not hold off Indiana’s strong offensive flow in the final minutes of the match.
The visiting New York team revealed its limitations when it only successfully shot 42.3% overall and was especially weak in the three-point line with a rate of 6/29, unable to keep up with the high offensive tempo of the home team Indiana Fever throughout the 40 minutes of play.
After receiving a technical foul, Clark responded with a 20-footer and his sixth three-pointer, extending the lead to 49-43 with 2 minutes and 23 seconds left in the first half, showing the tenacity and grit of a true star. The first half ended with a tight 53-50 score in Indiana’s favor after Ionescu’s 34-foot three-pointer in the final four seconds, and the game promised to be tense and dramatic in the following quarters.
The third quarter opened with two free throws from Natasha Cloud giving New York a 59-53 lead with 7 minutes and 31 seconds left, but Indiana exploded with a streak of 19 consecutive points, showing their focus and desire to win.Although New York closed the gap to 80-76 on a Marine Johannes score with 8:28 left in the final quarter, Mitchell responded with a crucial jumper to give Indiana an 85-78 lead with 6:42 left, maintaining the initiative for the home team.
Mitchell’s decisive three-pointer past Stewart sealed the win for Indiana with a 93-82 margin with 4:34 left, and confirmed an excellent team performance on Clark’s return from injury.