Caitlin Clark beat three USA Olympic gold medal winners on her return to the WNBA Friday night – but Indiana Fever burned a 28-point lead at one stage in a dramatic win over Phoenix Mercury.
Clark was sensational in the first half especially as she came flying out the blocks after her month-long break from league play due to the Paris Games. But the 98-89 victory did not reflect on how tense the game was at times for her team.
At the halftime interval Clark had scored 16 points and Fever at one stage led Mercury by 48-20. But in the third quarter Mercury, spearheaded by Kahleah Copper, overturned the deficit and even led by a point at one stage.
Clark and Fever rallied though for what could be a crucial triumph in the fight for the playoffs, taking their record to 12-15 for the campaign.
And Clark, who finished with 29 points, set another record on her way to victory as well – becoming the first rookie in WNBA history to record 450+ PTS and 200+ AST.
Caitlin Clark scored 29 points as Indiana Fever returned to the WNBA with a win
Clark led Fever to an 98-89 victory over Phoenix Mercury at a sold-out Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Copper, Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi won gold in Paris only on Sunday and played again on Thursday night when they beat Chicago Sky and Angel Reese.
But despite some tired legs they refused to give up against Fever in breathtaking final quarter that turned into a shootout.
Clark also recorded her 10th double-double of the season as her team swept the three-game series with Phoenix in front of a sold-out Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd, who had waited over a month to see their star player back in action.
‘We were incredible, we had a few lapses that didn’t look very pretty for us but we always found a way to respond,’ Clark said afterwards.
‘It sets the tone of were we want to be the rest of the seaosn, to grind this one out. It’s one at a time and we have got another big one Sunday.’
As good as Clark was, credit too must go to Kelsey Mitchell, who supported Clark fantastically in the Fever attack with 28 points of her own.
Clark joked that she was a little bit rusty after a month off – not that it was possible to tell.
Clark faced Brittney Griner on Friday – one of three USA Olympic gold medal winners
Diana Taurasi (left) and Kahleah Copper were the other Olympic winners in action Friday
‘I called for a sub six minutes in. If I’m being honest I was like, holy cow,’ Clark said.
‘I was like I need a quick minute here because we were playing fast and then my defense isn’t as good.’
The Fever play Seattle Storm back in Indiana on Sunday, with Clark and her team looking to maintain its momentum.
For the Mercury, they have a much-needed rest day before a return game against Reese and Chicago.
Clark and her Indiana Fever team are back in action on Sunday against Seattle Storm
Both Clark and Reese are locked into a battle for rookie of the year in their first WNBA season.
Reese set her own franchise record with Chicago Sky on Thursday night, passing Sylvia Fowles 2013 total of offensive rebounds (117).
But after leading Indiana to another crucial win in the battle to reach the playoffs, Clark is the one in the driving seat.
