In the midst of a winless start to her WNBA career — and her first single-digit goal since her freshman year of college — Caitlin Clark could have been excused for being in a down mood Saturday morning.
That was anything but the case.
“Honestly, it was fun,” she said of her jarring transition to the pros before her Indiana Fever took on the New York Liberty. “This is what you signed up for.”
At least on an individual level, that high energy carried over to the game as Clark turned in the best performance of her pro career to date — despite the Fever’s 91-80 loss and another turnover-heavy individual effort.
The former Iowa star scored a career-high 22 points, six rebounds and eight assists, including a 10-point first quarter in which she looked every bit the No. 1 seed she became last month.
And while Clark’s introduction to WNBA life hasn’t exactly been ideal — after a whirlwind six weeks that saw her wrap up her college career last month — she’s taking it all in stride.
“I try to remind myself that this is my job now, but I enjoy playing this game,” she said after the loss. “And that has to be my focus throughout this year.”
Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever handles the ball against the New York Liberty on Saturday
Many fans flocked to the Barclays Center specifically to see the former Iowa standout
However, the Liberty were far too strong and never gave up the early lead they had built
For Clark and the 0-3 Fever (who were blown away by the Liberty earlier this week), this was another tough match, and a stark reminder of how far away they are from contention. Even with two No. 1 overall picks (the other being Aaliyah Boston) on the roster.
The fact that Clark is still living in a hotel, as she told reporters, shows how new this all is.
“This is a professional league,” her teammate Kelsey Mitchell said after the game. “I don’t know what people expect or what they’re looking for, but this is going to take some time.”
It all started close enough on Saturday, when a three-pointer from Clark with 6:07 left in the first quarter gave her team a slim 14-13 lead.
But the Fever struggled to keep pace with their hosts, who scored a total of 19 fast-break points against the two of them in a sometimes frenetic first half that saw plenty of turnovers on both sides.
Just as fatal was the Liberty’s red-hot shooting to open the game, as a ridiculous 7-8 from three-point range in the first quarter helped the hosts take a 33-22 lead to end the period.
It didn’t take long before a Trey from Jonquel Jones gave the Liberty a 44-24 lead in the second quarter. And as for the Fever’s slim chances of winning, that was basically the case, as Indiana never got within single digits in the second half despite Clark’s best efforts.
Mitchell’s 17 points supported Clark the most, but the Fever ultimately had few answers for the likes of Breanna Stewart (who scored 24 points), Jonquel Jones (14 points, 12 rebounds) and Sabrina Ionescu (12 points, five assists).
Still, this wasn’t an entirely wasted afternoon in Brooklyn for the former Iowa star, or for the fans gathered at the Barclays Center to watch her.
Caitlin Clark is enjoying her start in WNBA life, despite her team’s struggles thus far
Sports power couple Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird were among the fans at the game
Notably, that list of spectators included Billie Jean King, South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley, ex-Lakers star Pau Gasol, Jason Sudeikis, Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird. And Clark gave her most mature performance yet for those big names.
Clark was again overshadowed by New York’s Betnijah Laney-Hamilton and efficiently shot 9-17 from the field and moved the ball well to her teammates, although she also coughed up eight turnovers in another intense effort.
Her defense is also still a work in progress against the physicality of professional players, and an 0-3 start will sting for someone who has flirted with national championships over the past two years.
However, these growing pains are to be expected. And in front of a crowd full of Clark and Iowa jerseys, there were plenty of highlights — namely her deep three-point range and her pinpoint passing to impress both her supporters and her peers.
‘We here [on the podium]it’s respect,” Stewart said after Clark’s game.
“Yes, I think the media should give her some grace and time,” Jones added. “She learns every game while he’s there. And obviously her impact on this competition will be enormous.”
For now, three games into her professional career and leading a rebuilding franchise, Clark has plenty of time and plenty of reason to keep smiling before the honeymoon is over.