Caitlin Clark made the shot everybody got here to see.
Clark stopped late within the third quarter of Sunday’s WNBA preseason recreation between the Indiana Fever and the Brazilian nationwide staff and launched a 3-pointer close to the “22” brand on Iowa’s Carver-Hawkeye Area courtroom. It was the spot the place she hit the shot in her senior season in 2024 that made her the all-time main scorer in NCAA girls’s basketball, and naturally it went in.
This shot, with 25 seconds left within the third quarter, capped Clark’s return to the world the place she broke information on her solution to turning into the NCAA Division I all-time scoring chief.
Clark, beginning her second season with the Fever, scored 16 factors in Indiana’s 108-44 win.
Clark’s day was bookended by photographs that have been paying homage to her profession with Iowa’s girls’s basketball staff — her first 3-pointer got here from the tip of the beak on Iowa’s “Tigerhawk” brand at midcourt 34 seconds into the sport.
And after each photographs went in, the gang response sounded identical to all of the photographs she made in entrance of sellout crowds as she led the Hawkeyes to back-to-back appearances within the NCAA nationwide championship recreation in her last two seasons.
Clark, coping with a leg harm that stored her out of Saturday’s preseason opener in opposition to the Washington Mystics, performed nearly 19 minutes, and that was sufficient to please the capability crowd of 15,400. She completed the sport making 6 of 10 photographs, and added six rebounds and 5 assists.
It was Clark’s second recreation again on the enviornment since she left the Hawkeyes — she had her jersey No. 22 retired in a ceremony after Iowa’s 76-69 win over USC on Feb. 2.
“I’ve advised my teammates they’re going to be right here cheering for me, sure, however they’re additionally going to be right here cheering for you and our complete staff,” Clark stated earlier than the sport. “And I believe that’s what’s so nice about these followers, is that they actually rally across the complete staff. It’s not simply myself, and that’s what I like about it.”
Clark was greeted with a loud ovation when she took the courtroom earlier than the sport, and the noise continued all through the day. The gang noise for Clark’s pregame introduction reached 116 decibels, and the primary 3-pointer recorded 117-decibel applause.
That type of a response wasn’t a shock to Fever coach Stephanie White.
“I’ve seen the Caitlin Clark stuff from the skin wanting in and being on the tv aspect and definitely being an opponent,” stated White, who referred to as a few of Clark’s video games whereas working at ESPN and went in opposition to her final season because the coach of the Connecticut Sun. “For us to have the ability to convey Caitlin again right here and to convey our staff right here to expertise this fan base, it’s an unbelievable alternative.”
Iowa coach Jan Jensen had the identical response.
“We’re simply proud that we are able to fill this place up in Might,” she stated. “Are you kidding me?”
The occasion grew to become a scorching ticket as quickly because it was introduced earlier this yr. The typical paid worth of $440 per ticket on the secondary market this week made it essentially the most in-demand occasion involving Clark, in accordance with ticketing expertise firm Victory Stay, which analyzes gross sales throughout the secondary market. Asking costs on the secondary market Wednesday ranged from $146 to $2,368.
Clark made it clear earlier than the sport she was going to play regardless of the harm, though it was obvious the harm was nonetheless a problem — when she got here out of the sport within the first half she went to the tunnel behind the Fever bench to journey a stationary bike.
“It sucked being on the sideline yesterday, however clearly, it’s in all probability simply one of the best determination within the preseason,” Clark stated.
Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever with 17 factors. Aliyah Boston added 11.
Clark left the sport after making that final shot, and as she bought to the bench waved to the gang, encouraging one final cheer.
“That’s my objective,” Clark stated earlier than the sport. “Get them concerned, get them loud.”
Reporting by The Related Press.
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