How Indiana beat New York in Caitlin Clark’s WNBA return

Guard Caitlin Clark returned Saturday after missing the past 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 (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

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Caitlin Clark puts on a show with 25 first-half points in her return

Caitlin Clark lights it up with six 3s and 25 points in the first half in her first game back from injury for the Fever.

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 past 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.

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Sabrina Ionescu drills logo 3 to end half for Liberty

Sabrina Ionescu shows off her range with a logo 3 to close the half for New York.

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 (competing overseas), 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 5 rebounds. Nyara Sabally didn’t play badly replacing Jones — 10 points and nine 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.

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Caitlin Clark shares a smile with Breanna Stewart after her fourth deep 3

Caitlin Clark pulls up from deep over Breanna Stewart for her fourth deep trey of the game.

What did Clark show in her first game back? Clark had 25 points at halftime on 6-for-9 shooting from 3-point range. That’s the most points she has scored at the break in her WNBA career. She finished with 32, and coach Stephanie White was happy with the way Clark managed the game in the second half. She told Clark that she didn’t have to go for “the home run play” but to keep things a little simpler.

Clark and White talked before Saturday’s game about how Clark tracked the Fever’s empty possessions while she was sidelined. Clark said she got an even greater appreciation by doing that and saw how important it was to not allow those to stack up once she got back on court.

When it started to happen Saturday, White was able to remind Clark, “We’ve got to run something. We’ve got to get into our offense and stop trying to do it all ourselves. We’ve to lean on each other.”

Clark finished the game with nine assists and eight rebounds. Between her scoring and assists, she accounted for 54 of the Fever’s points Saturday. It was Clark’s ninth career game with at least 50 points scored or assisted on, one shy of tying Diana Taurasi for the most in WNBA history. Taurasi retired after last season; she spent her entire 20-year career with Phoenix.

Clark’s seven 3-pointers tied her career high. Clark went against seven different primary defenders versus the Liberty. The 6-4 Stewart had the most success; Clark shot 1 of 5 for three points and had three turnovers against her. Against the other six defenders, Clark was 10-of-15 for 29 points and had four turnovers. — Michael Voepel