Guard Caitlin Clark returned Saturday after missing the last five games with a thigh injury and helped lead the Indiana Fever to a 102-88 victory over the New York Liberty.
It marked the first loss of the season for the defending WNBA champion Liberty (9-1), who were missing starter and 2024 Finals MVP Jonquel Jones (ankle). The Fever — who went 2-3 without Clark, who was injured on May 24 — improved to 5-5 overall.
“I thought my rotations were good. I feel strong,” Clark told ESPN’s Christine Williamson after the game. “I felt good. I thought we played a great game.”
Indiana hit 17 3-pointers, including seven from Clark, and hit the century mark for the first time this season.
“I thought we did a really good job of getting the ball into the paint, that and then kicking it out,” Clark said postgame. “We got high-percentage looks.”
Clark had 32 points, including five 3-pointers and a career-high 25 points in the first half. At one point, she hit three consecutive 3-pointers to score nine points in 33 seconds. Clark also finished with 9 assists, 8 rebounds and 7 turnovers.
Sabrina Ionescu led New York with 34 points.
Jump to: Analysis and result | Relive the action
Final: Indiana Fever 102, New York Liberty 88
What does this victory mean for Indiana? On Tuesday, the Fever scored a season low in a 77-58 loss at Atlanta. But Saturday, with guards Clark and Sophie Cunningham back in the lineup, they had a season-high 102 points.
This game is a big confidence boost for the Fever. They knew they weren’t themselves in the last five games without Clark. Still, the difference was dramatic Saturday, and proof of who the real Fever are and can be as a team.
There are still concerns. Indiana struggled inside to score Saturday and beat the Liberty with Jonquel Jones sidelined by injury. (DeWanna Bonner was also out for the Fever due to personal reasons.)
But the bottom line was that unlike their 90-88 loss to the Liberty in Indianapolis on May 24, the Fever grabbed the lead and held it Saturday.
What does this result mean to New York? It was inevitable that the Liberty would lose at some point this season. A lot was stacked against them Saturday. They were missing starters Jones and Leonie Fiebich due to injuries, and the Fever were extra motivated by the returns of Clark and Cunningham.
Jones was almost unstoppable with 26 points and 12 rebounds the last time these two played, and at 6-foot-6 she is a formidable presence inside on offense and defense. The inside tandem of Jones and Breanna Stewart is one of the most elite we’ve seen in the WNBA.
In addition to Ionescu’s 34 points, Stewart finished with 24 points and 14 rebounds. Nyara Sabally didn’t play badly replacing Jones — 10 points and 9 rebounds — but the Liberty just didn’t quite have the firepower they usually do.
Now we will see how this outcome impacts the Commissioner’s Cup race. — Michael Voepel
