Clark scores 21 points in her first WNBA game
ARLINGTON, Texas — Caitlin Clark, the top pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, made her first appearance as a professional basketball player on Friday evening, scoring 21 points in front of a packed crowd of 6,251 at UT Arlington’s College Park Center. Despite her impressive performance, the Fever ultimately fell short, losing 79-76 to the Dallas Wings.
The top scorer in NCAA history contributed 11 points to Indiana’s initial 19-point tally, including a 3-pointer from beyond the arc against seasoned player Natasha Howard. However, she failed to score in the third quarter and spent most of the period on the bench after committing her third and fourth fouls in rapid succession.
Clark’s impressive performance, which included six successful shots out of 15 attempts and 5 out of 13 three-pointers, helped her earn 21 points, matching the game-high score set by Dallas rookie Jaelyn Brown. In addition to her point tally, Clark also contributed three rebounds, two assists, two steals, and five turnovers. NaLyssa Smith also had a notable game, scoring 20 points for the Fever.
Clark stated that his main objective for the evening was to maintain his authentic self and play with a bold approach. He believed he successfully achieved this goal and expressed satisfaction with his performance.
Clark drew the attention of new arrivals, but Dallas guard Arike Ogunbowale secured the victory for the home team by scoring the last seven points for Dallas and making a game-winning step-back 3-pointer with 3.0 seconds left. Despite Clark’s last-minute attempt to tie the game with a buzzer-beater shot, it fell short.
The sports scene in the Metroplex was abuzz with excitement as the NBA’s Mavericks and NHL’s Stars both had crucial games on the same day. While the Mavericks emerged victorious in their Game 6 matchup against the LA Clippers at home in downtown Dallas, the Stars faced a tough defeat in Las Vegas. Despite the Stars’ loss, fans still flocked to Arlington, proudly displaying their support for Clark or sporting jerseys with the number 22.
Even though she played for the opposing team, the top scorer in NCAA history was warmly welcomed with loud applause when she was announced as one of the starting players for the Fever. Another former top draft pick from Boston also received a warm reception. The audience, mostly supporting the Wings, showed enthusiasm for Clark, particularly as she successfully made four out of eight 3-point shots in the first half. The crowd remained involved as the teams exchanged the lead seven times, and the game saw nine ties.
“The season couldn’t have started better for women’s basketball, with an exhilarating game that came down to the wire,” Clark exclaimed. “Both teams showed incredible passion and determination, setting the tone for what promises to be an exciting year.”
Clark, who gained fame in the spring of 2023 for her impressive Final Four performance with the Hawkeyes, made a strong start to her professional basketball career by successfully scoring her first two shots as a rookie. The shots were both 3-pointers, with the first one coming from a baseline out-of-bounds play where Clark’s opponent lost track of her. The crowd, particularly the Wings fans, remained on their feet in anticipation of the home team scoring.
“I was pleased with my initial attempt, as it yielded a clean shot,” she stated. “As a shooter, it’s always gratifying to see your first shot go in.”
Prior to the game, Clark emphasized the importance of maintaining her authenticity; afterward, she felt she had accomplished this by displaying assertiveness and tenacity, though she acknowledged room for improvement in minimizing turnovers and adapting to the league’s physical play. Despite her efforts, Head Coach Christie Sides observed that Clark appeared fatigued and requested a substitution at the end of the first quarter.
Clark and Sides both acknowledged that it would be a learning experience for Clark as she adapts to playing alongside and against top-notch players. The point guard realized that she doesn’t have to shoulder the burden of creating everything on her own and can utilize her teammates’ screens or set her own to simplify the game.
Sides complimented her by saying that she puts in a lot of effort to take shots that will eventually come easily to her.
During the second half, the Wings coach, Latricia Trammel, stated that Clark’s reduced performance was due to an improvement in her team’s defensive communication and intensity after a slow start.
Viewers who watched Clark’s performance also enjoyed the standout displays from Brown and Ogunbowale (19), who led the Wings.
Ogunbowale acknowledged that she had made only 9 out of 24 shots and 1 out of 7 three-point attempts. She credited her teammates, particularly Jaelyn, for maintaining composure and enabling her to make a crucial three-pointer towards the end of the game, her only successful three-point shot. Despite the challenges, Ogunbowale emphasized the importance of having a team in basketball, highlighting the need to push through difficulties and continue taking shots.
The Fever are looking to Smith, the second overall pick in 2022, and Boston, among other young players, including Clark, to lead the team to its first postseason berth since 2016. That 2016 season also marked the end of the career of legendary franchise player Tamika Catchings.
Indiana will have their last preparation game on Thursday in Indianapolis before facing the Connecticut Sun in their first regular season game on May 14.
Clark mentioned that there are positive aspects to consider despite it being a preseason game. He advised me not to feel too disheartened by the outcome and instead suggested reviewing the game footage, gaining insights from it, and preparing for the upcoming game.
Fever rescheduled Clark’s debut due to the Pacers win.
Indianapolis: Caitlin Clark will make her preseason home debut one day sooner than scheduled, according to Indiana Fever officials. The Indiana vs. Atlanta game, which was initially slated for May 10, has been moved to Thursday. After winning Game 6 on Thursday night, the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks advanced to the NBA playoffs’ Eastern Conference semifinals. Owing to a scheduling difficulty, the league decided to move the two clubs’ Game 3 from Indiana to May 10 at 7 p.m., the same time the Fever and Dream were scheduled to play.
The two Indiana teams both compete at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Officials from the Fever announced that tickets for the game originally scheduled for May 10 will still be honored for the new date. Fans can watch the rescheduled game on the WNBA app. Clark is set to make his professional debut on Friday night in Dallas. The Indiana team will kick off their regular season on May 14 at Connecticut, followed by their first home game on May 16 against New York.
The NBA has adjusted the schedule to accommodate a potential six-game series between the Pacers and Knicks by adding a day of rest. Following Game 5, there will be two days off before Game 6 takes place on May 17 in Indianapolis. The rest of the games in the series will have one day off between them. If the original schedule had been kept, Game 6 would have been on May 16.
WNBA will make changes to challenge and timeout regulations for the 2024 season.
The WNBA will introduce two new rules for the 2024 season: modifying how replay challenges work and getting rid of 20-second timeouts. Teams will receive an additional coach’s challenge if their first attempt is successful. However, they must still have a timeout remaining to use for the challenge.
The following are considered challenges: a foul call, an out-of-bounds violation, goaltending, or basket interference.
In a modification from previous seasons, teams will now have access to five “team” timeouts and a single “reset” timeout. Unlike the traditional team timeouts, the reset timeout enables teams to move the ball forward and bring in substitutes while prohibiting them from gathering with their coaches for strategic discussions. In the last two minutes of regulation or overtime, teams are allowed to use a reset timeout.