Caitlin Clark had a challenging night, scoring only one basket and three points, marking the worst performance of her budding professional career. The New York Liberty dominated the Indiana Fever, securing a decisive 104-68 victory in front of 17,401 spectators at Barclays Center on Sunday night.
Clark struggled with her shooting, going 1-for-10 from the field. This game marked her lowest point total and shooting percentage (10%) across both her WNBA career (11 games) and her college tenure (139 games at Iowa). Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu commented on the team’s defensive strategy, stating, “I think collectively, as a team, we understand who kind of the head of the monster is on that team, and we are trying to just make everything tough and difficult.” She also acknowledged the difficulty for Indiana, playing on a back-to-back, and expressed confidence that Clark would rebound from this performance.
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton led the Liberty with 20 points, while Jonquel Jones contributed 18 points. The game was well in hand for the Liberty when Clark exited the game in the early minutes of the fourth quarter. Clark, the top pick in April’s draft, left the court holding her ear after being bumped on a screen. Despite this setback, the Liberty maintained their commanding lead to close out the game.
This game highlighted the strength of the Liberty and the potential for Clark to bounce back from a tough outing. The young star’s resilience will be key as she continues to navigate her rookie season in the WNBA.
