Indiana Fever hand New York Liberty first loss as Caitlin Clark returns, erupts
Indiana Fever hand New York Liberty first loss as Caitlin Clark returns, erupts
The New York Liberty are unbeaten no more.
Caitlin Clark returned from the left quadriceps injury that sidelined her for each of the Indiana Fever's past five games and proceeded to erupt for 32 points, nine assists and eight rebounds as Indiana (5-5) downed New York (9-1), 102-88.
The 6-foot superstar exploded for a trio of 3-pointers in the span of 38 seconds to close the first half en route to a 53-50 halftime lead. Clark scored 25 points in the first half, which was the most of any half in her WNBA career thus far.
The Iowa alum sank six first-half 3-pointers and knocked down a career-high tying seven from beyond the arc. Clark finished 11-of-20 shooting from the floor and 7-of-14 from 3-point distance.
Then, after the defending WNBA champs responded with a 9-0 run to begin the second half, the Fever counterpunched with their own 19-0 third-quarter spurt.
Indiana carried an 80-71 lead into the fourth. The Liberty sliced the deficit down to 85-82 after a pair of Sabrina Ionescu free throws with 6:00 remaining.
But, like the rest of the afternoon, the Fever had another answer for New York. Indiana rode a closing 17-6 scoring run to capture the defining victory.
Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell helped key Indiana icing the win late. Mitchell finished with 22 points on a 9-for-21 shooting day, including 10 fourth-quarter points on a pair of 3-pointers and two more jumpers in the game's final 6:42.
Indiana guard Lexie Hull added 14 points with a trio of threes and Fever forward Aliyah Boston scored 10 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and assisted six times. Fever guard Sydney Colson chipped in with 10 points off the Indiana bench.
Indiana shot 48.1% from the field and connected on 17 3-pointers. Meanwhile, the Liberty were limited to just six threes and 20.7% shooting from beyond the arc.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnREF
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sabrina Ionescu gets 100% real on Caitlin Clark's big performance
The post Sabrina Ionescu gets 100% real on Caitlin Clark's big performance appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Indiana Fever got a huge boost before their big matchup against the New York Liberty on Saturday when it was announced that star guard Caitlin Clark would make her return from a quad injury. And Clark set the tone early with a huge first quarter that carried over throughout the Fever's 102-88 win against the Liberty. Following the game, Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu spoke about Clark's return and her overall performance, as per Myles Ehrlich of Winsidr. Advertisement 'Basketball is a game of runs. . .the same way we go on runs, they do as well, they're a great team,' Ionescu said. 'I think we gave [Caitlin] too many easy ones, she has great range. . .On a personal level, I'm happy to see her out there on the court and feeling good.' Caitlin Clark finished with a team-high 32 points, eight rebounds, nine assists, one steal and two blocked shots in the Fever's win. She shot 55 percent from the field, 50 percent from the three-point line and 60 percent from the free-throw line in a little over 31 minutes of play. On the flip side, Sabrina Ionescu was the game's leading scorer with 34 points in the Liberty's loss. She also added two rebounds, four assists and one steal while shooting 55 percent from the field, 40 percent from the three-point line and 88.9 percent shooting from the free-throw line. Clark had been out since May 24, the Fever's fourth game of the season, due to the quad injury. The Fever went 2-3 in Clark's absence. With the win against the Liberty, the Fever now move to 5-5 on the season. Advertisement Through the first four games of the Fever's season, Clark had been playing just about 35 minutes per game. She was averaging 19.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 9.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocked shots with splits of 40.3 percent shooting from the field, 31.4 percent shooting from the three-point line and 75 percent shooting from the free-throw line. Related: Natasha Cloud surpasses WNBA legend despite loss to Fever Related: The difficult lessons the Liberty received from 1st loss of season
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Caitlin Clark shares 4-word post after explosive return from injury
The post Caitlin Clark shares 4-word post after explosive return from injury appeared first on ClutchPoints. Gainbridge Fieldhouse held a second highly-anticipated basketball game during the weekend of June 13: The return of Caitlin Clark for the Indiana Fever, with undefeated New York also in town. Advertisement The hype and anticipation built for Clark in her return from injury. She exploded by delivering a near triple-double in the Fever's 102-88 romp of the now 9-1 Liberty. Clark dropped 32 points on the Liberty while being one pass shy of 10 assists. The second-year WNBA star also grabbed eight rebounds. Clark went off after missing five consecutive games with her injury. She posted a succinct, yet stirring, reaction on her Instagram page after the rout. 'Good to be back,' Clark shared to her followers. Clark couldn't suit up before Saturday due to a quadriceps strain. She looked like the dominating all-everything threat the basketball world knows her as. Caitlin Clark sparked multiple reactions early in Fever/Liberty Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Clark and the Fever had the headlining basketball game one day after Game 4 of the NBA Finals. The Liberty walked in as the favorite to win inside an arena that already saw the last home team lose. Clark and the Fever ensured Indianapolis was not going to endure consecutive disappointment from the city's roundball fans. Advertisement Clark fired up the online reactions early in the Liberty game by going off on the scoring end. She even nailed one shot from the WNBA logo. Clark hit six three-pointers in the first half that the Fever's X account acknowledged. Even LeBron James chimed in during the contest. 'The CC EFFECT!! WELCOME BACK! You were missed!' James posted on his X account. ESPN personality Elle Duncan was another in awe of Clark's performance. 'Caitlin Clark is absurd. Like.. not even rust stands a chance,' Duncan posted. Meanwhile, opponent Sabrina Ionescu marveled at the resiliency and brilliance of Clark. 'I think we gave [Caitlin] too many easy ones, she has great range. On a personal level, I'm happy to see her out there on the court and feeling good,' Ionescu said. Advertisement The Fever improved to 5-5 overall in the upset. Related: Kelsey Mitchell credits 'resilience' for Fever's takedown of Liberty Related: Caitlin Clark's boyfriend reacts to Fever star's message after Liberty takedown
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Caitlin Clark's boyfriend reacts to Fever star's message after Liberty takedown
The post Caitlin Clark's boyfriend reacts to Fever star's message after Liberty takedown appeared first on ClutchPoints. Caitlin Clark delivered a dominant performance in her return from injury as the Indiana Fever stunned the New York Liberty 102-88 on Saturday. Her display earned many reactions, especially one from her boyfriend Connor McCaffrey. Advertisement In 31 minutes of action, Clark showed out with an excellent game. She finished with a stat line of 32 points, nine assists, eight rebounds, two blocks, and a steal. She shot 11-of-20 from the field, including 7-of-14 from beyond the arc, and 3-of-5 from the free-throw line. It was an impressive show from the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year with her return to the court. She suffered a quad injury that sidelined her for five games, as Indiana went 2-3 in that stretch. After the game, Clark posted a photo gallery on Instagram as she expressed a clear message about her first game back since the injury. 'Good to be back🫶🏻💫,' Clark said. Advertisement McCaffrey caught wind of his girlfriend's post, having a short comment to express his excitement for her return to the court. 'BELLA!!!!!' McCaffrey exclaimed. What's next for Caitlin Clark, Fever Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images It's a huge message of support for Connor McCaffrey to have for Caitlin Clark. Her recovery from the injury and dominating in her first game back was surely something to be proud about. Both teams traded blows throughout most of the game. However, Clark and the Fever won the last three quarters to take the momentum away from the Liberty. In the last 20 minutes, Indiana outscored New York 49-38, showing that the Fever are capable of beating one of the best teams in the league. Advertisement Five players scored in double-digits on Indiana's behalf in the win, including Clark. Kelsey Mitchell was effective with 22 points and two rebounds on 9-of-21 shooting overall, including 3-of-10 from downtown. Lexie Hull came next with 14 points and four rebounds, Aliyah Boston had 10 points and 11 rebounds, while Sydney Colson provided 10 points and six assists. Indiana improved to a 5-5 record on the season, holding the third spot in the Eastern Conference standings. They are two games behind the Atlanta Dream and four games behind the Liberty. The Fever will prepare for their next matchup, being at home. They host the Connecticut Sun on June 17 at 7 p.m. ET. Related: Kelsey Mitchell credits 'resilience' for Fever's takedown of Liberty Related: Caitlin Clark shares 4-word post after explosive return from injury
