Caitlin Clark is starting her WNBA career in unfamiliar surroundings as her Indiana Fever team suffers a top-five losing streak.
For context, Clark lost just five games with the Iowa Hawkeyes (34-5 record) throughout the 2023-24 college season.
The Fever would have to win 33 straight games to reach that mark (that would have to carry over into the conference playoffs, and it should be noted that Iowa’s record includes playoff games), but at least for now, their decline has It’s over, and most of it is behind us.
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Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) smiles as she walks onto the court after making a 3-pointer in the final seconds of a game against the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto.com Arena. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports)
Clark hit two clutch 3-pointers, including one with less than a minute left, to help Indiana beat the Sparks 78-73 in Los Angeles in front of a crowd of 19,103 at Crypto.com Arena.
Indy trailed by 11 points at one point, but after trailing by just three points entering the final quarter, they started the fourth quarter with a 16-6 run to take a six-point lead.
Los Angeles then cut the deficit to three, but Clark drained a 33-foot 3-pointer for her first 3-pointer of the night with 2:27 left. A Dizzy Clark actor and Iowa native Ashton Kutcher sat courtside with his wife Mila Kunis and their children.
The Sparks then pulled within two, but Clark proved why he was the No. 1 pick with a step-back crossover three-pointer with 40.7 seconds left that proved to be a dagger.
Then she shrugged like Michael Jordan.
“The first one felt really good,” said Clark, who was two assists shy of a triple-double (11 points, a career-high 10 rebounds).
She missed her first seven 3-pointers, but took advantage of the opportunity and hit two more.
“I got there on time, like they had to go in,” Clark said. “I missed a lot throughout the game.”
Actor Ashton Kutcher congratulates Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) after her game against the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto.com Arena. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports)
Caitlin Clark denies ‘narrative’ of ‘attention’ she received during fever struggles: ‘I don’t read that’
The game showcased the youth and future of the WNBA, with No. 1 overall pick Clark taking on No. 2 pick Cameron Brinker and No. 4 pick Ricky Jackson of the Sparks. Brinker had 15 points and nine rebounds and Jackson scored a career-high 16 points off the bench for the Sparks (1-3). Dilica Hamby had 18 points and 12 rebounds.
Before the game, Clark dismissed suggestions that she was receiving more attention than anyone else in the league, perhaps unfairly. Well, she might want to reconsider.
Chicago Bulls’ Jason Sudeikis, Rosie O’Donnell, Casey Griffin, DeMar DeRozan, Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson, University of Southern California star Zhu Zhu ·Watkins, along with teammate Raya Marshall and coach Lindsay Gottlieb, were among the sold-out crowd for the Sparks’ first home game. The Sparks played their first two home games in Long Beach, but with Clark and the Fever in town, the games were moved to downtown Los Angeles.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) heads off the court after a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto.com Arena. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports)
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“The crowd was absolutely amazing, especially at the end,” Clark said. “They’re committed, they’re committed.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
