Sept. 16 (UPI) — Caitlin Clark lit up the court with 3-pointers from all over and scored 13 of her career-best 35 points in the fourth quarter, guiding the Indiana Fever to a 110-109 victory over the Dallas Wings. In the process, Clark set a new WNBA rookie scoring record.
Clark shot 10 of 22 from the field, including six 3-pointers, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. She also contributed eight assists, three steals, and two rebounds.
“After hitting that first three and a few more, my shot felt really on, and honestly, I think I should have made eight,” Clark told reporters.
“I had a few tough rolls. It just seems like I can’t quite get over the hump of truly getting hot.”
With her 35-point performance, Clark elevated her season total to 761, surpassing the previous rookie record of 744 points set by WNBA legend Seimone Augustus in 2006.
“I was always a fan of her game and the way she could shoot and score, so it’s definitely come full-circle,” Clark said about Augustus.
The Wings outperformed the Fever in several areas, including points in the paint (54-32) and points off fast breaks (20-2). They also shot 56.8% from the field compared to the Fever’s 50% and had a 33-26 advantage in rebounding. However, the Fever excelled in three-pointers, making 16 to the Wings’ 11, and committed fewer turnovers, with nine compared to the Wings’ 13.
In the first quarter, the Wings were led by forwards Satou Sabally and Natasha Howard, center Teaira McCowan, and guard Arike Ogunbowale, all scoring eight points each and helping the team outscore the Fever 34-26.
Clark scored the Fever’s first 11 points of the second quarter and led a 10-2 run to narrow the deficit. Both Clark and fellow Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell contributed 12 points each in the second quarter, but the Fever still trailed 59-57 at halftime.
Mitchell added another 12 points in the third quarter, during which the Fever outscored the Wings 27-24. The Wings managed to tie the game early in the fourth quarter but never regained the lead. Clark finished strong, making 4 of 6 shots, including two 3-pointers, and hitting all three of her free throw attempts in the final 10 minutes to secure the win.
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