WNBA
Caitlin Clark bags 9 points as Indiana Fever are humbled in full-house home debut
It was far from a dream home debut in Indianapolis as the Fever were punished by New York Liberty losing 66-102.
Despite the massive interest Caitlin Clark has generated ahead of the new WNBA season, things on-court have been far from plain sailing for the player and her Indiana Fever team as they are now 0-2 in the opening games.
Clark was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft after breaking the all-time Division I scoring record (for men and women) at the University of Iowa.
Despite US 2.3 million viewers tuning in for Clark’s WNBA debut between the Fever and Connecticut Sun with the Sun winning prevailed 92-71 in front of a sellout crowd at Mohegan Sun Arena with the 22-year-old bagging 20 points as part of the defeat.
Packed Gainbridge Fieldhouse watches humiliation
A rampant New York Liberty spoiled Caitlin Clark’s home debut with a 102-66 rout of the Indiana Fever on Thursday night in Indianapolis.
With all eyes on Clark, the former NCAA player only managed nine points and contributed seven rebounds and six assists to go along with just three turnovers, as opposed to the 10 she committed in Indiana’s 92-71 loss to the host Connecticut Sun on Tuesday.
A sell-out crowd of over 17,000 watched the Fever be outclassed in every department by the Liberty with a final quarter whitewash with New York hitting 35 points to the paltry ten managed by the home side.
Clark in massive demand despite slow start
Despite an indifferent start to the season for the Fever, demand to see the team at home and on the road continues with The Atlanta Dream being the latest WNBA team to accommodate attendance demands for visits by the Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark.
The Dream announced Thursday that home dates against the Fever on 21 June and 26 August will be played at State Farm Arena, home of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks.
State Farm Arena holds more than 17,000 fans for basketball, compared to 3,500 for the Gateway Center Arena in College Park.
The Los Angeles Sparks, Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics previously announced plans to host Clark and the Fever in larger venues.