PHOENIX — In poor health from a migraine and being pressured onerous by Phoenix’s protection, Caitlin Clark nonetheless delivered Sunday. The Fever guard completed one rebound wanting what would have been the primary triple-double by a WNBA rookie as Indiana beat the Mercury 88-82.
The sport was dubbed “The Goat” (the Mercury’s Diana Taurasi) vs. “The Rook” (Clark) — one a 42-year-old legend who has gained three WNBA titles and 5 Olympic gold medals, the opposite a 22-year-old enjoying for the primary time in Phoenix.
As is typical for Clark and Indiana this season, Fever supporters made up a decent-sized portion of the sellout crowd of 17,071 at Footprint Middle. Regardless of the Fever falling behind 17-4 to open the sport, trailing by 11 at halftime and being down as a lot as 15 within the second half, the Fever despatched their followers dwelling completely happy.
Clark did not come to the postgame information convention as a result of she wasn’t feeling properly, however did discuss briefly to ESPN’s Christine Williamson on courtroom after the sport.
“I am simply completely happy we gained,” stated Clark, who completed with 15 factors, 12 assists and 9 rebounds. “It was cool to play towards [Taurasi], and clearly a extremely nice recreation. This crowd was completely unimaginable.”
Taurasi, in her twentieth WNBA season, is the WNBA’s all-time main scorer. Clark completed her Iowa profession in early April because the all-time main scorer in Division I basketball, males or ladies.
Each had been No. 1 draft picks with large workloads as rookies. However Taurasi, WNBA Rookie of the 12 months in 2004, got here of age within the days earlier than social media, not to mention NIL offers. These issues have tremendously impacted Clark’s profile. Her rookie season has been in a a lot larger highlight due to know-how variations and the expansion of the WNBA the previous 20 years.
Taurasi’s comment in the course of the school season that “Actuality is coming,” relating to Clark’s transition to the WNBA was no totally different than something the veteran has stated about rookies her complete profession. After Sunday’s recreation, Taurasi praised Clark.
“It is wonderful what Caitlin’s been capable of do in her quick profession to date,” Taurasi stated. “The one factor that I actually love about her, she loves the sport. You possibly can inform she’s put the work in. … It has been lots of strain, lots of issues thrown at her, and she or he retains displaying up and retains getting higher each single recreation.
“So her future is tremendous vivid, and being a veteran and being on this league for an extended, very long time, it’s fairly cool to see that and go into the longer term.”
Taurasi, the oldest lively participant within the WNBA, is the gold commonplace for guards within the league, and she or he did her half Sunday with 19 factors, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and three steals. Fellow guard Natasha Cloud had 15 factors and seven assists, whereas heart Brittney Griner led Phoenix with 24 factors.
However the Fever gained the rebounding battle 42-28 led by ahead NaLyssa Smith’s 15 boards. Facilities Aliyah Boston (17 factors) and Temi Fagbenle (10), ahead Smith (12) and guard Kelsey Mitchell (16) joined Clark in double-digit scoring.
Clark was 4-of-14 from the sector, taking pictures towards six totally different Mercury defenders all through the sport. However her passing was one of many greatest keys to the Fever victory.
The sport bought chippy at factors, with the groups combining for 5 technical fouls and two flagrant fouls. Regardless of the Mercury being the extra veteran crew, the Fever stored their quiet down the stretch.
“We proceed to inform one another, ‘We’re good, keep right here, take note of what we have now to do,'” ahead Aliyah Boston stated. “Use that as vitality for us, not as a distraction, not worrying about if they’ll foul us onerous or not. Each night time it should be a battle, so we have now to be prepared for it.”
It was the primary time since 2022 that the Fever had been capable of rally for a victory from down at the very least 15 factors. After going 1-8 to start out the season in Could, the Fever went 7-4 in June. Indiana hasn’t made the playoffs since 2016 however is at the moment in place to take action.
“That is a crew that for the final couple years [has been] making an attempt to get to again to their glory days of Tamika Catchings and placing up a banner,” Taurasi stated of the Fever. “I feel what [Clark is] doing for that crew proper now’s fairly spectacular.”