Clark delivers in Fever win, draws praise from Mercury’s Taurasi

PHOENIX — Again from a migraine and being pressured onerous by Phoenix’s protection, Caitlin Clark nonetheless delivered Sunday. The Fever guard completed one rebound wanting what would have been the primary triple-double by a WNBA rookie as Indiana beat the Mercury 88-82.

The sport was dubbed “The GOAT” (Mercury’s Diana Taurasi) vs. “The Rook” (Clark) — one a 42-year-old legend who has received three WNBA titles and 5 Olympic gold medals, the opposite a 22-year-old enjoying for the primary time in Phoenix.

As is typical for Clark and Indiana this season, Fever supporters made up a decent-sized portion of the sellout crowd of 17,071 at Footprint Middle. Regardless of the Fever falling behind 17-4 to open the sport, trailing by 11 at halftime and being down as a lot as 15 within the second half, the Fever despatched their followers dwelling comfortable.

Clark did not come to the postgame information convention as a result of she wasn’t feeling properly, however she did speak briefly to ESPN’s Christine Williamson on court docket after the sport.

“I am simply comfortable we received,” stated Clark, who completed with 15 factors, 12 assists and 9 rebounds. “It was cool to play towards [Taurasi], and clearly a very nice recreation. This crowd was completely unimaginable.”

Taurasi, in her twentieth WNBA season, is the league’s all-time main scorer. Clark completed her Iowa profession in early April because the all-time main scorer in Division I basketball, males or girls.

Each had been No. 1 draft picks with massive workloads as rookies. However Taurasi, WNBA Rookie of the 12 months in 2004, got here of age within the days earlier than social media and NIL offers. These issues have enormously impacted Clark’s profile. Her rookie season has been in a a lot greater highlight due to expertise and the expansion of the WNBA the previous 20 years.

Taurasi’s comment throughout Clark’s last faculty season that “Actuality is coming,” concerning her transition to the WNBA was no totally different from something the veteran has stated about rookies her entire profession. After Sunday’s recreation, Taurasi praised Clark.

“It is superb what Caitlin’s been in a position to do in her brief profession to date,” Taurasi stated. “The one factor that I actually love about her, she loves the sport. You’ll be able to inform she’s put the work in. … It has been numerous strain, numerous issues thrown at her, and he or she retains exhibiting up and retains getting higher each single recreation.

“So her future is tremendous shiny, and being a veteran and being on this league for a protracted, very long time, it’s fairly cool to see that and go into the long run.”

Taurasi, the oldest energetic participant within the WNBA, is the gold customary for guards within the league, and he or she did her half Sunday with 19 factors, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and three steals. Fellow guard Natasha Cloud had 15 factors and 7 assists, whereas heart Brittney Griner led Phoenix with 24 factors.

However the Fever received the rebounding battle 42-28, led by ahead NaLyssa Smith’s 15 boards. Facilities Aliyah Boston (17 factors) and Temi Fagbenle (10), ahead Smith (12) and guard Kelsey Mitchell (16) joined Clark in double-digit scoring.

Clark was 4-of-14 from the sector, taking pictures towards six totally different Mercury defenders all through the sport. However her passing was one of many largest keys to the Fever victory.

The sport obtained chippy at factors, with the groups combining for 5 technical fouls and two flagrant fouls. Regardless of the Mercury being the extra veteran workforce, the Fever stored their calm down the stretch.

“We proceed to inform one another, ‘We’re good, keep right here, take note of what we have now to do,'” ahead Aliyah Boston stated. “Use that as vitality for us, not as a distraction, not worrying about if they will foul us onerous or not. Each evening it should be a battle, so we have now to be prepared for it.”

It was the primary time since 2022 that the Fever had been in a position to rally for a victory from down not less than 15 factors. After going 1-8 to begin the season in Might, the Fever went 7-4 in June. Indiana hasn’t made the playoffs since 2016 however is presently in place to take action.

“That is a workforce that for the final couple years [has been] making an attempt to get to again to their glory days of Tamika Catchings and placing up a banner,” Taurasi stated of the Fever. “I believe what [Clark is] doing for that workforce proper now could be fairly spectacular.”