Fever's Caitlin Clark out-duels Sabrina Ionescu to hand Liberty first 2025 loss
The post Fever's Caitlin Clark out-duels Sabrina Ionescu to hand Liberty first 2025 loss appeared first on ClutchPoints.
The Indiana Fever avenged a controversial two-point loss to the New York Liberty on May 24 with a resounding 102-88 win Saturday afternoon. In her return from injury, Caitlin Clark led the team with 32 points in an epic duel with Sabrina Ionescu, who ended with 34.
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Clark and Ionescu posted identical 11-for-20 shooting numbers. While Clark did most of her damage in the first half, Ionescu spread her performance out evenly across her 38 minutes. Clark also went 7-for-17 from deep, including a ridiculous sequence with three consecutive deep-range three-pointers in under a minute.
The result gave the Liberty their first loss of the season. They dropped to 9-1 on the year, becoming the final team in the WNBA to suffer their first defeat.
Clark's return ended a five-game absence with a quad strain she suffered during the Fever and Liberty's last meeting. Despite the injury, Clark still posted 18 points and 10 assists in that game before suffering a close loss in the final seconds. In two games against New York, Clark is averaging 25 points, 6.5 rebounds, 9.5 assists and 4.5 three-pointers per game.
Fever, Liberty to face each other twice more in 2025
Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
The Fever and Liberty are not viewed as rivals, but are quickly developing a competitive tension between them. Both early-season matchups were featured on national television and were two of the most-watched games of the year.
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Indiana and New York will meet two more times in the 2025 regular season. The final two matchups will occur on July 16 and July 22, both at the Barclays Center. The third meeting will commence just before the All-Star break, with the final regular season matchup bringing both teams out of the break.
With the Liberty coming off a championship and Clark driving ratings through the roof, the matchups feature two of the most popular teams in the league. They are also two of the best teams in the league, despite what the Fever's record suggests. Indiana is 3-2 with Clark in the lineup and losing the two games by an average of 1.5 points.
Related: Caitlin Clark's boyfriend reacts to Fever star's message after Liberty takedown
Related: Caitlin Clark shares 4-word post after explosive return from injury
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