Teammate Caitlin Clark’s sharing is very true and also very noble, because Caitlin Clark is too superstar, she will be closely marked, will have few opportunities to shoot, this is also an opportunity for her teammates to score. points and let her score. Rookie Caitlin Clark still plays an important role in the success of the match.
Caitlin Clark would have finished with a double-double in her second WNBA preseason game if some of her Indiana Fever teammates converted some easy layups off of the assist. And yet she still came close to a triple-double.
Clark recorded 12 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
Although her stat line was pretty well-rounded, it was not her best game as a scorer. She went just 4-of-12 from the field and 2-of-9 from beyond the arc in front of an unprecedented crowd of 13,000 (!!) fans.
Despite the poor shooting performance, Clark’s impact cannot be understated. Indiana won the game by three. Its entire offense now moves through the No. 1 overall pick.
Caitlin Clark is a catalyst!
Clark tried to downplay her “off” night during the postgame press conference but her teammate, NaLyssa Smith, would not let her. The third-year veteran scored a game-high 21 points and attributed her success to the rookie.
Caitlin Clark starts: “I didn’t think I was that effective tonight.”
Nalyssa Smith rebuttals: “She was effective. Everybody is so focused on her, she’s giving the rest of us opportunity.”
Smith finished with a game high 21 points. pic.twitter.com/X6C8jv1Rr4
— Pat Boylan (@PatBoylanPacers) May 10, 2024
Smith, who took Clark under her wing to prove Diana Taurasi wrong, made it clear that the strong outing stemmed from the attention that the defense is forced to give the greatest scorer in college basketball history. Even when she’s not hitting shots like she normally does, Clark opens up the offense for Smith and the rest of the Fever.
Indiana came back from a 15-point deficit in the second quarter, took the lead with 4:57 left in the third, and never looked back. It was a testament to the Fever’s ability to win without their star on her ‘A’ game.
That notion of an “off night” for Clark is especially wild when you remember that she came four rebounds and two assists shy of a triple-double… that’s a great line for someone who was not at her best. Especially considering that her focus was clearly on the players around her.
The 22-year-old guard did not quite have her stroke on Thursday night. And yet, Clark was still hitting the coolest shots that didn’t count. Even her misses go in!
OH REALLY CAITLIN ??
this should have counted 😭😭#WNBA pic.twitter.com/h6KT03ae6O
— Vanshay Murdock 🎥🎥 (@VanshayM) May 10, 2024
Indiana is 1-1 in the preseason. It will get its regular season underway on May 14.
If the Fever can continue to find ways to win when Clark is not lights out from beyond the arc, they are in a real position to contend. Especially if their superstar rookie continues to facilitate for those around her!
