Caitlin Clark scores game-high 21 points, but Indiana Fever fall in WNBA exhibition opener

Down three points to the Dallas Wings with three seconds left, Indiana already had a game plan: go to Fever rookie sensation Caitlin Clark.

The No. 1 pick, who led the Fever in points Friday night, had a lot of these late-game experiences in her Iowa career. But this was the first time that she was doing it as a pro. Hounded by the Wings defense, Fever guard Lexie Hull couldn’t inbound the ball to Clark. Instead, she got it to Erica Wheeler, who put it in Clark’s hands with less than a second left.

The shot was off-balance, and it fell short, and the Fever lost their first preseason game to the Wings, 79-76. Still, Clark was the one to beat.

Arike Ogunbowale 3-point shot to give the Wings a 3-point lead, and the Fever have three seconds to respond.

— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) May 4, 2024

Here are three observations from Caitlin Clark’s preseason WNBA debut:

How many points did Caitlin Clark score?

In her first WNBA game, Clark already experienced something unique to professional basketball: a jump ball tip. Clark was triple-teamed by the Wings in the paint in an attempt to get the ball, and officials called for a jump between the 6-0 rookie and 6-7 WNBA veteran Teaira McCowan.

As it was called, Clark looked over at coach Christie Sides, shrugging her shoulders. As expected, too, she did not win the tip.

Shooting-wise Clark looked at home. There were some times where the increased physicality of the WNBA seemed to frustrate her, but she didn’t let her stop that from doing what she does best: 3-pointers.

Her first shot was a 3-pointer, and it went through the net to loud cheers from Clark supporters in the crowd. She nailed a stepback 3-pointer over Natasha Howard, the 2019 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, and led all scorers with 16 points by halftime.

Clark struggled with foul trouble in the second half, picking up her fourth at the under-5 mark of the third quarter. The physicality also affected her passing, a category in which she is usually unstoppable; she had just two assists compared to five turnovers.

She finished the game with 21 points on 6-of-15 shooting from the floor, including 5-of-13 from 3, in 28 minutes.

Defense falters in first quarter

Sides has always been a stickler on defense — it was something she wanted to focus on last year, but the Fever finished 11th in the league in general defense. This year, she’s determined to improve that number. And she got varying results on Friday night.

Indiana opened the game on a 14-3 run, capped off by two Clark 3-pointers, and it looked like the Fever were on their way to a strong defensive showing. Then, Dallas went on a 23-9 run through the rest of the quarter, headlined by Arike Ogunbowale and Jaelyn Brown.

With the help of Fever rookie Celeste Taylor’s defense on Ogunbowale to start the second quarter, the Fever settled in a bit on the defensive end. Indiana allowed 14 points to the Wings in the second quarter, compared to 24 in the first.

Indiana managed to stay just barely ahead of the Wings for most of the second half, even as Sides was experimenting with different lineups and giving her starters some rest. Ogunbowale’s 3-pointer with 4 seconds left gave the Wings a slim margin of victory.

Fever missing pieces from lineup

While this game is one of just two times Fever players will be able to play against true opponents before the season starts, Indiana didn’t have its full starting lineup to slot into the game.

Kelsey Mitchell, who will likely play the 2, has not yet participated in training camp because of an ankle injury she suffered while preparing for 3×3 camp last month. She is considered day-to-day, and she went through dynamic warm ups during Friday morning’s shootaround. Katie Lou Samuelson was a late scratch from the game, tweaking her ankle during pregame warmups.

So, Indiana had to adapt. The Fever have one more preseason game with a chance to work its entire startling lineup — if Samuelson and Mitchell are healthy.

Indiana will play the Atlanta Dream on May 9 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.