NCAA’s all-time main scorer and WNBA No. 1 decide Caitlin Clark made her unofficial professional debut Friday within the Indiana Fever‘s exhibition loss to the Dallas Wings, 79-76.
After a historic collegiate profession, Clark shortly put any doubts about her transition to the WNBA recreation within the rearview. Albeit in a loss, the previous Iowa star led the Fever in scoring, ending with 21 factors, taking pictures 6-of-15 from the sector and 5-of-13 from past the arc.
Clark knocked down the primary two photographs she took. Unsurprisingly, each got here from three-point vary.
The Rookie of the Yr favourite did most of her injury within the first half. Even in her first skilled motion, the second did not look too large for Clark, who recorded 16 factors (5-of-9) with 4 three-pointers (5-of-9) earlier than halftime.
After drawing nationwide consideration at Iowa, Clark confirmed her humbleness by admitting not too long ago that she wasn’t certain if anybody in Indianapolis would know who she was upon her arrival as the highest decide.
“Truthfully, it isn’t a lot completely different, which is basically thrilling,” Clark mentioned through the WNBA. “I believe it simply reveals the joy on this metropolis for girls’s basketball and hopefully what I will deliver to this group.”
Clark’s debut additionally left doubts about her affect on girls’s basketball within the mud. Friday’s preseason tilt between the Fever and Wings was a sell-out (7,000). In the meantime, the common ticket value for the sport was $109, greater than double the price of a WNBA ticket in 2023 ($47).
Publish-game, Clark appeared overwhelmed by the help from WNBA followers.
“An ideal ambiance for girls’s basketball,” Clark advised Sheryl Swoopes. “I believe it is a good kickoff to the WNBA season.”
