New York — In her worst game as a pro, Caitlin Clark had one basket and three points as the New York Liberty defeated the Indiana Fever 104-68 at Barclays Center on Sunday night in front of 17,401 fans.
Clark went 1-for-10 from the field. She had the lowest point total and field goal rate (10%) in a game in her 11 WNBA games and 139 NCAA games at Iowa.
“I think collectively, as a team, we understand who kind of the head of the monster is on that team, and we are trying to make everything tough and difficult,” Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu said of Clark. “After a back-to-back, it’s challenging for them. But she’ll learn. It’s fine to have a game like that.”
When Clark exited, the Liberty were nearing an easy win with Betnijah Laney-Hamilton scoring 20 and Jonquel Jones adding 18. Clark, the April draft’s top choice, played the first few minutes of the fourth quarter before leaving with her ear held. She wounded herself with screen bumps.
After that, Clark was OK.
The Fever had another worrisome moment a few minutes later when Aliyah Boston fell awkwardly with an ankle injury after being fouled. She slowly left the court for the changing room.
Boston’s injury wasn’t detailed by Indiana coach Christie Sides, but last season’s Rookie of the Year appeared OK while going around the locker room.
Indiana was playing the second of two consecutive games. Saturday, the Fever (2-9) defeated the Chicago Sky by one point.
After 11 games in 20 days, including three against New York, the Fever have had a rough start.
The legs were shot. Your legs really are everything when shooting the basketball, especially with 3s “Sides stated. “They’re shot, they’re gassed, so everything was a little short.”
The Liberty took advantage of the fatigued Fever, leading 31-13 after one quarter. Both Laney-Hamilton and Breanna Stewart scored seven points in the first 10 minutes as New York took charge.
Clark scored a logo 3-pointer to start the second quarter after going scoreless. Laney-Hamilton and Kayla Thornton harassed her defensively.
Clark finished with five assists and has now led or co-topped the Fever in assists in all 11 games this season, the second-longest stretch in WNBA history (Ticha Penicheiro, 26).
NY led 55-37 at halftime. Indiana pulled within 12 early in the third quarter before the Liberty broke it open.
Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana with 21 points.
This study utilizes ESPN Stats & Information and AP data.
Fever top Sky question ‘awful’ Caitlin Clark foul
Indianapolis The Indiana Fever won their first home game of the season Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse after a harsh foul on the No. 1 WNBA draft selection.
Clark and the Fever defeated rookie sensation Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky, 71-70, when a fourth-quarter rally failed. Chennedy Carter scored 19 points off the bench for Chicago, but she was criticized late in the third quarter for shoulder-checking Clark before the ball was inbounded.
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The play was labeled an away-from-the-ball common foul, but the WNBA informed ESPN on Sunday morning that Carter was issued a flagrant 1 after a league review.
“I grew up playing basketball with the boys, so, like, it’s always been physical and feisty and that’s what it is,” Clark said. “You gotta find a way to hold your own.”
After the game Saturday, Fever coach Christie Sides called Carter’s foul on Clark “unacceptable” and asked the WNBA, “When will the consistent complaints be heard?!?” Something must be done!”
Sides stated in her postgame news conference that the Fever had been referring Clark’s “getting hammered” plays to the WNBA for evaluation. She said Carter’s foul will likely prompt the squad to do so again.
Sides stated, “This league is awesome, it’s a physical league,” before Sunday’s game against the Liberty. “That was a non-basketball play that needed to be called in that moment.”
If a flagrant foul isn’t called during the game, the league office can reclassify it or raise it to a flagrant 1, punish or suspend the player. The WNBA didn’t either to Carter.
Carter said “Next question,” then ignored the foul when asked about the play after the game.
Clark said: “It is. I think you simply accept it and don’t retaliate. I’m trying to ignore it.”
Reese was fined $1,000 by the WNBA Sunday for not being available to journalists after the game. Sky was fined $5,000 for failing to enforce league media restrictions.
Sides praised Clark for staying calm over the season’s hard play.
“We’re just going to keep sending these possessions to the league, and these plays, and hopefully they’ll start, you know, taking a better look at some of the things that we see happening, or we think is happening,” he added. The way Caitlin handled it made me happier.
“It’s hard to keep getting battered like she does without free throws or foul calls. She’s persevered. Be grateful to her. Her accomplishment makes me proud.”
After a slow start, Indiana (2-8) played its best defense, overcoming 39.1% shooting and holding Chicago to 40.6% and 2-for-12 from 3-point range.
“We were connected defensively more than we’ve been all year,” he added.
The WNBA’s Commissioner’s Cup began Saturday with each teams’ first game.
The Sky scored late to make it a one-point tie with 1:35 left after the Fever led by nine with 3:36 left. The difference was Aliyah Boston’s 1:19 clutch and-1. Chicago’s Marina Mabrey missed a crucial free shot with 6.1 seconds left.
“I’m proud of our group,” added Clark, who scored 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. I believed earlier in the season, to this point, if we shot like this, we wouldn’t have won because we didn’t have that resiliency and would let it effect our defense. Just proud of us. We played tough defense. We always responded to their runs.”
Clark was the first WNBA rookie to score 150 points, 50 rebounds, and 50 assists in 10 games.
No. 3 selection Kamilla Cardoso recovered from a preseason shoulder injury to score 11 points and grab six boards in 18 minutes off the bench in her WNBA debut.
Cardoso’s South Carolina team defeated Clark in the national final game two months earlier. Cardoso, a former college teammate of Boston (10 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks), played with old SEC adversary Reese for the first time since Chicago selected them in April. Clark and Reese’s Iowa and LSU clashes created national headlines and record viewership, boosting women’s basketball interest.
The Fever meet New York on Sunday night after their 10th game in 19 days on Saturday. They played 11 games in 20 days, the most since the 2011 Washington Mystics. Indiana is off until Friday after Sunday’s game.
“Anytime you win, that makes everything a lot better,” he remarked. “These people are battling and clawing. That’s all I can request. They did it till the end tonight and will again tomorrow regardless of competition.”
WNBA commissioner: Charter flights doing well
New York — After the Olympics, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert expects the charter flight program to function smoothly.
“It’s a big Rubik’s Cube,” Engelbert told The Associated Press via phone Friday. “Where can we acquire long-haul planes and pilots? You don’t stay on the plane for two days. It was used elsewhere. Logistics are complicated.”
Due to plane availability and pilot personnel, professional league charter schedules take months to create. Due to a lengthy partnership with Delta and the NBA’s model, the WNBA completed it in weeks.
We have a thick season footprint. We intended to capitalize on the fact that we knew our teams would struggle in the first two weeks, especially at the start “Engbert remarked. That’s why we fired. We considered the timeframe and obstacles and determined it was time.”
Engelbert said the league planned to hand out charters gradually when they became available, but every club had charters within a week of the season.
The league will charter VIP, Delta mainline, and regional airplanes for $25 million per year for two years.
Regional jets have been used for most trips due to availability. Other planes weren’t available on short notice because May, June, and July are peak flying months.
Smaller regional planes with 30 passengers must refuel for extended journeys. Fuel stops were implemented when the NBA began charter flights in 1997.
Many planes lack power outlets and WiFi, a problem often seen on commercial trips. Small difficulties that don’t overshadow charter planes’ massive benefits.
“It happened overnight almost,” WNBA players’ union president Nneka Ogwumike remarked. I think it’s a great win, even though the rollout was wobbly. Transformational is all I can think of.”
Players no longer have to get up at 5 a.m. to fly to the next city for a game. Travel time is roughly half. They avoid long security queues and crowded seats.
The AP and New York took a 13-hour flight from Connecticut to Las Vegas last season due to connecting flights.
“We can just pull up to the plane and get on it and get ready to go,” Liberty forward Breanna Stewart said. “We haven’t done it yet, but to be able to finish a game and then fly out to the next city and not waste a whole day is huge.”
After games, players can rest on planes to the next city.
Of the 120 flights teams must make in May and June, the league got 116 at the team’s desired timings. Teams may now practice at home and fly away.
The league will measure how often a team flies each charter option, balancing them out.
The first charter flight was a VIP aircraft for the Indiana Fever. Only because the Indiana Pacers were in the playoffs and their charter was available to carry the Fever to Connecticut.
Last season, the WNBA paid for back-to-back game charter flights. They continued that program before booking charter flights for every away game this season. Some teams may use VIP or larger flights since they are playing back-to-back games or in the Commissioner’s Cup finals on June 25.