INDIANAPOLIS — Caitlin Clark and the Indiana rookie fever were no match for New York Freedom and MVP Breanna Stewart on Thursday.
The Liberty defeated the Fever 102-66 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis, spoiling Clark’s first regular season at home. Scoring was hard to come by for Clark, who finished with nine points (2-8 FG, 1-7 3PT, 4-4 FT), seven rebounds and six assists on the night. The No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft found herself in foul trouble early, committing five fouls and three turnovers.
“We knew this was going to be a tough environment and … we have that experience,” Stewart said after the game, adding that Liberty “made it very difficult for (Clark) tonight. We had an awareness of where they were and we followed the game plan.”
Stewart had a double-double — 31 points, 10 rebounds and four assists — and Sabrina Ionescu added 14 points and seven rebounds. Fever’s Alia Boston scored 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists.
Here’s a recap of the Fever’s home opener against Liberty:
Final: Freedom 102, Fever 66
The Liberty dominated the Fever outright, but the fourth quarter was very ugly. New York outscored Indiana 35-10 in the fourth quarter of the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Thursday. The final dagger of the night came when New York’s Ivana Djukic sank a 27-foot 3-pointer with 11.1 seconds left to mount a 36-point lead over the Fever.
3S: Freedom 67, Fever 56
INDIANAPOLIS – As we’ve seen many times, a few buckets from Caitlin Clark, and her team are back at it.
Clark scored seven points in the third quarter and helped cut the deficit to 13 points, 67-56. But Indiana didn’t hit the ball in time as the quarter ended, and the Fifers were still unanswered for Brianna Stewart, who led all scorers with 28 points. (She also had nine rebounds.)
New York built a 23-point lead into the third, but Indiana seemed to have a little fire. Clark hit her first 3, which was big for her confidence. Could she get a little scoring and include some of her signatures (3s logo) in said round? – Lindsay Schnell
Caitlin Clarke is in foul trouble
Caitlin Clark made another quick mistake. The Fever rookie was called for a shooting foul on New York’s Breanna Stewart just 30 seconds into the third quarter with 9:31 remaining. Stewart converted both of her free throws to extend Liberty’s lead to 50-33. Clark now has four fouls, but remains on the court.
-Sydney Henderson
First half: Freedom 48, Al-Hima 31
INDIANAPOLIS — In what should have been a big-time battle, Jonquil Jones vs. Aaliyah Boston, it wasn’t exactly a fair fight. Jones owns the paint. She only scored six points, but she did have seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Boston, meanwhile, has eight points, but has often not been a factor inside.
That’s a big part of why the Liberty led 48-31 at halftime.
A run midway through the second quarter helped Indiana cut the deficit to four, and Liberty responded by turning the ball over. But the Fever couldn’t capitalize on the other end, and the Liberty took complete control of this game from then on.
And there’s more bad news for Indiana: Just before halftime, Kaitlyn Clark picked up her third foul.
Brianna Stewart leads all scorers with 20 points for New York. – Lindsay Schnell
1s: Freedom 25, Fever 16
INDIANAPOLIS — She only got two points, but Caitlin Clark’s home debut was better than her major league debut had been two days earlier.
Clark has three assists — two of them to Katie Lou Samuelson for 3s — and three rebounds, and looks more comfortable through one quarter. Perhaps the best part is that it only has one fault.
But it’s not going well for fever in general. New York leads 25-16, 11 points ahead of tournament MVP Brianna Stewart. The Liberty own the battle in the paint, outscoring Indiana 16-8, and they’ve already forced the Fever into four turnovers (three of them by Clark). Also for the Liberty, Sabrina Ionescu has nine points, three rebounds and an assist. – Lindsay Schnell
Aaliyah Boston, Jonquil Jones have their dust
INDIANAPOLIS — Less than seven minutes into the game, things were already getting tense.
When Indiana’s Aliyah Boston was fouled by New York’s Jonquil Jones, the two mingled and words were exchanged — of the “unsuitable for business” variety. But a common error was counted, so no harm done, right?
We’ll have to keep an eye on this matchup for the rest of the game. – Lindsay Schnell
Caitlin Clark and Indiana Fever They will play in front of their home fans for the first time this season when they face… New York Liberty Thursday at 7 p.m. ET. The game takes place at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
How to watch Kaitlyn Clarke tonight
Freedom Fever game It will be broadcast on TV Amazon Prime.
How to stream New York Liberty at Indiana Fever
Freedom Fever game It will be available to stream on Amazon Prime. The game will also be available on demand at WNBA league card Upon its conclusion. Fans can get League Pass by downloading the WNBA app.
Indiana Fever starting lineup
- PG Erica Wheeler
- Saint Germain Caitlin Clark
- SF Katie Lou Samuelson
- PF Nalisa Smith
- C Alia Boston
New York Liberty starting lineup
- J Courtney Vandersloot
- J. Sabrina Ionesco
- G/F Petnega Lanny Hamilton
- F Breanna Stewart
- C. Jonquil Jones
How many points did Kaitlyn Clark score last?
Clark finished with 20 points in her WNBA debut Tuesday, but it took some time for the rookie. She shot just 5-of-15 from the field in the Fever’s 92-71 loss to the Connecticut Sun. the The top pick in the 2024 draft also threw the ball away 10 times, a statistic that is sure to bother her — and certainly not the kind of double-double she wanted to score.
2024 WNBA rookies to watch
The WNBA’s 2024 rookie class is one of the most anticipated in history, led by Kaitlyn Clark, the scoring phenom from Iowa who rewrote the college record books. But she’s not the only newcomer expected to make a big impact, and she’s doing so immediately. There hasn’t been this kind of interest and excitement around rookies in the WNBA since 2013, when Brittney Griner, Elena Della Donne and Skylar Diggins-Smith joined the league.
To get ready for the 2024 WNBA season that begins Tuesday, USA TODAY Sports’ Lindsey Schnell offers a primer on the nine rookies she believes will have the biggest impact this season. Read more from Schnell here.
Even kids admire Caitlin Clark
Kaitlyn Clark inspires girls all over the world, including her little girl. Before her first home game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse against the New York Liberty on Thursday, Clark was spotted on the field playing with Aliyah, the daughter of Fever forward Katie Lou Samuelson.
Clark was too observer Signing autographs before the game. -Sydney Henderson
The WNBA says all teams will be hired by Tuesday
INDIANAPOLIS — A WNBA spokesperson confirmed Thursday that starting Tuesday, May 21, all teams will rent to and from every game. This is just one week after the opening of the 2024 season.
Festive fever swept the league last week when Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced teams would do so Start chartering planes full time – especially from veterans who have been struggling to fly privately for years.
Read the full story here.
Kaitlyn Clark wants to be like Steph Curry
INDIANAPOLIS — The summer before her senior year at Iowa State, Kaitlyn Clark made a point to bulk up, adding eight pounds of muscle to her slender 6-foot frame. She knew the extra weight would make a difference as the Hawkeyes were going through another long season and she was battling multiple defenders every night on her way to leading the nation in scoring.
But she’s busy this summer playing in the WNBA. This means that any major changes in her body will have to wait a few months. When she steps into the weight room, Clark has a goal: to be like NBA star Stephen Curry.
“The person I like to watch is Steve,” she said. “He’s strong. He may be a little small but he’s a really strong guy. This will definitely be important for me to develop over the course of my professional career.
Being fit for the WNBA has been a big adjustment for Clark through just three games (two preseason and one regular season). She was in shock and pain every second she was on the floor, whether she had the ball or not, and she’s still getting used to it.
Officially listed at 152 pounds, Clark is one of the Fever’s smallest players. Only 5-foot-7-inch Erika Wheeler weighs less, at 143 pounds. Adding another seven to 10 pounds of muscle would go a long way for Clark. Guards with a similar build to hers, 6-foot-1 Grace Berger and 6-foot-1 Lexi Hull, check in at 160 and 155 pounds, respectively. Clarke knows that getting stronger is the key to pro longevity, but she has accepted that she will have to wait a few months to really attack that aspect of her game: “When this season comes, that will probably be one of my main concerns, is getting more strength.” More power.” – Lindsay Schnell
Caitlin Clark is wild around the Indiana Zoo
INDIANAPOLIS — Kaitlyn Clark hasn’t been in Indianapolis long but she already has a to-do list for the Circle City.
Of course, her top priorities relate to basketball. Clark, the No. 1 pick in April’s draft, wants to level up Indiana fever in the WNBA playoffs, and wouldn’t mind collecting some individual accolades along the way. She has been vocal about her desire to make the 2024 Olympic team.
On Thursday before making its regular season debut at home, Clark told reporters She is excited, at some point, to visit the Indianapolis Zoo.
It is considered one of the best zoos in AmericaAnnually, the Indianapolis Zoo holds a fundraiser known as “Zoobilation,” which is described as “the most anticipated event of the year” in the city. And Indy’s newest resident is Hunting for an invitation: “Maybe I’ll call Zoobilation, I heard they’re getting a new chimpanzee.”
Told that her praise of the event would likely lead to her being the guest star, Clarke laughed before joking, “Yes, Zoobilation is about to hit an all-time high of people wanting to go,” referring to how she was attending to help set attendance records.
There’s something else that will likely set attendance records: its play this summer at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, home of the Fever. – Lindsay Schnell
Another WNBA team is moving the Indiana Fever to a larger arena
Where Kaitlyn Clark goes, crowds follow. the Atlanta dream Joined Washington Mystics And Las Vegas Aces In moving their next matches against Kaitlyn Clark and Indiana fever To larger arenas to accommodate a larger crowd.
Clark, the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer and the Fever’s No. 1 overall pick, said she understands the importance of the hype surrounding her and vowed to continue showing up for fans across the league.
“People sacrifice a lot to spend money to get here or to travel or to pay for their little daughter or son to come watch and support us… I understand because I was that little girl,” Clark added. He said Thursday. “I’m fully aware of that and that’s why I never missed a game in college.” -Sydney Henderson
10 bold predictions for the WNBA season
The 28th WNBA season kicks off tonight, so it’s time to start thinking about what’s in store for women’s professional basketball over the next few months.
There has never been more excitement about the women’s game. With a star-studded senior class, a team seeking its third straight championship and a Summer Olympics that will help spark interest in women’s basketball, the Women’s Basketball Association is heading into its most anticipated season since the league debuted nearly three decades ago.
So what can we expect this summer? For starters, Caitlin Clark will lead the WNBA in assists and make the Olympic team. Read Lindsey Schnell’s story here.
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