The Caitlin Clark era began a tumultuous period.
In front of a sold-out crowd in Dallas, Clark played her first WNBA game, and despite it being a preseason game, Clark was as impactful as she has been the past four years at Iowa State (in part because Probably all the familiar Big Ten opponents on the court)). Although the Indiana Fever lost to the Dallas Wings 79-76, Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 3 seconds left, and Clark made 5 of his shots. three-pointers and scored a team-high 21 points.
“I thought we played hard. The atmosphere in women’s basketball was great,” Clark said after the game on Bally Sports Radio. “I think it’s a good start to the WNBA season.”
Caitlin Clark said in her WNBA preseason debut:
◽️ Blackjack
◽️ 3 REB
◽️5 three-pointers🎥 @Indianamania pic.twitter.com/ZNvuoQN2q8
— The Athlete (@TheAthletic) May 4, 2024
Clark starts alongside Erica Wheeler, which allows the former Iowa star to play both with and without the ball. On her first possession as the de facto point guard, she threw a perfect pass to forward NaLyssa Smith, who was all over the court. After Smith’s rim attempt was blocked, Clark went into shooting guard mode and drained a deep 3-pointer inbounds for her first career score.
There were a lot of three-pointers in the first half. Clark tied the Wings’ scoring total with four 3-pointers before halftime, one of which came on a dazzling footwork against former Defensive Player of the Year Natasha Howard middle. Howard switched to Clark on the perimeter, and the No. 1 pick created enough space with a hesitant dribble, then took a step back and knocked down a jumper.
Clark scored 14 points and made 4 three-pointers! 🔥 The second quarter is underway
📲: WNBA App pic.twitter.com/KCLiJeZqRW
— WNBA (@WNBA) May 4, 2024
Clark didn’t risk much driving to the basket initially, but her shots were WNBA-ready, including a pull-up mid-range shot near the end of the second quarter. Clark led both teams with 16 points in the first half.
Still, Friday night’s performance left a lot to be desired. Clark ended up committing a game-high five turnovers and was called for four fouls. She said afterward that the Fever could have moved into the offense better and had room to learn more about when to push in transition and when to slow down the tempo of the game. She also said the team’s passing game could be better.
“Overall, there’s a lot to learn,” Clark said. “These are all good learning experiences for us. This one doesn’t count. Go back and watch the movies. Movies don’t lie and learn from them.
“It’s a process, right? We just started practicing on Sunday,” Fever coach Christie Sides said. “We’re still learning from each other. She worked very hard on some shots, but now she doesn’t have to work as hard anymore.
Aliyah Boston, last year’s Rookie of the Year, had eight points and eight rebounds in his preseason debut, while Smith, the No. 1 pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft, had 20 points and six rebounds. Fever rookie Celeste Taylor had five rebounds in 11 minutes.
Ogunbowale’s three-pointer was her only three-pointer of the game, although she finished with 19 points. Rookie guard Jaylin Brown scored a team-high 21 points.
Jacy Sheldon, the No. 5 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, played 13 minutes on the WNBA bench and contributed 2 assists.
The Fever’s second and final preseason game is scheduled for Friday, May 10.
Reese was just one rebound shy of a double-double in his debut.
Former LSU star Angel Reese also made his preseason debut Friday night when the Chicago Sky faced the Minnesota Lynx. Reese started the game just three minutes into the game when his layup attempt was blocked by Minnesota star forward Nafisa Collier. Although Reese did not score in the first quarter, she settled down in the second quarter and not only scored but also showed offensive chemistry with center Camila Cardozo.
At 3:49 before halftime, Reese found Cardoso cutting into the basket for a layup that Chicago forward Brianna Turner said looked better.
I look better in person🤩🫶🏾 https://t.co/t2N7cwthzn
— Brianna Turner (@_Breezy_Briii) May 4, 2024
Chicago lost 92-81, but Reese scored 13 points and was aggressive around the basket. She attempted 10 free throws and made nine. She also added a game-high nine rebounds. Cardozo, the third overall pick in April’s draft, came off the bench and had six points and four rebounds in 13 minutes.
Former Utah star Alissa Pili made her preseason debut for the Bobcats but struggled offensively, hitting just one field goal on seven attempts in 13 minutes of play.
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(Photo: Cooper Neill/NBAE via Getty Images)
