With a sensational rookie year under her belt, Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark returned to her old stomping grounds Sunday. The former Iowa star led the Fever in a preseason friendly in Iowa City against the Brazilian national team.
After sitting out Indiana’s preseason opener against the Washington Mystics on Saturday, Clark returned to the Fever’s starting lineup for her homecoming. Indiana looked completely dominant throughout the game, defeating Brazil 108-44.
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From the jump, it was like Clark had never left. After fielding a mob of pregame autograph requests, Clark hit one of her signature 3-pointers to open the game.
Indiana continued to pile on points, outscoring Brazil 70-24 in the first half.
In the third quarter, Clark hit an outrageous 3-pointer, causing the crowd to erupt. Clark took the shot just steps from the logo that marks the spot on the court where she broke the NCAA scoring record last year.
Clark finished with 16 points, while the other two members of Indiana’s Big Three — Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston — played well in limited minutes. Mitchell also finished with 16 points, while Boston pitched in 11 points and seven rebounds. Natasha Howard, who signed with the Fever from Dallas during the offseason, added 10 points.
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The game was the second friendly for the Brazilian team, which lost 89-62 to the Chicago Sky on Friday. But the Fever’s win Sunday seemed particularly dominant: Not even halfway through the fourth quarter, Indiana hit the 100-point mark. With the game well in hand, the Fever rotated through the bench, as Clark and the other starters sat out the final quarter.
After a number of offseason changes — including a new coach in Stephanie White and a number of veteran free-agent acquisitions — the Fever look like a potential contender this season.
Postgame, Clark said Indiana will be aiming for a championship, and she feels the Fever are set up for success.
“We got a new team, so it’s gonna take some time to put it all together. But I think everybody’s thankful, we’ve got some really great veterans who’ve won before and then we got some people back and Steph’s amazing and our staff, so,” Clark said, “should be a great season.”
