Caitlin Clark’s earlier go to to Barclays Middle marked a uncommon low level in her younger profession.
Then a rookie, Clark managed solely three factors on 1-of-10 capturing in her Indiana Fever’s blowout loss to the Liberty on June 2, 2024.
“As a team, we understand who the head of the monster is on that team,” Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu mentioned on the time, “and we are trying to just make everything tough and difficult.”
That was the eleventh sport of Clark’s WNBA profession, and greater than a 12 months later, it stays her lowest-scoring efficiency and her worst capturing effort.
Clark returns to Barclays Middle for the primary time since then on Wednesday night time to face the Liberty below completely different circumstances.
The sharp-shooting phenom is a much more established participant now, having lived as much as the sky-high hype final season by profitable Rookie of the Yr and main the Fever to their first playoff berth since 2016.
Clark’s second season has featured unimaginable highs, together with a 32-point, nine-assist, eight-rebound eruption towards the Liberty in Indianapolis on June 14 to deal the defending champions their first loss.
However this 12 months has additionally include a brand new set of challenges for Clark.
She missed 5 video games with a left quad harm towards the start of the season, then one other 5 on account of a left groin harm.
After coming back from the latter final week, Clark was averaging 12.0 factors on 34.1% capturing within the three video games earlier than Tuesday night time’s assembly with the Solar in Connecticut.
“I’m not worried about Caitlin’s shot,” Fever head coach Stephanie White mentioned on Friday after Clark’s second sport again from the groin harm.
“She’s recovering from injury. She plays heavy, hard minutes. Every defensive assignment, every defensive scout, she’s at the top of the scouting report, so the shot quality she’s been getting has not been great. We’re so used to seeing her make tough shots, and to be able to do that while she’s recovering from injury, it’s going to be more difficult.”
Clark’s capturing struggles return even additional, nevertheless, as she entered Tuesday capturing 29.5% from the sector and 14.3% from 3-point vary in her earlier six video games.
Maybe the intense lights of New York will get her going.
Wednesday is ready to be Clark’s third-ever sport in Brooklyn and her first this season.
She is averaging 25.0 factors, 9.5 assists and 6.5 rebounds per sport towards the Liberty this 12 months, with the earlier two matchups happening in Indiana.
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, who was Clark’s main defender throughout final season’s 1-for-10 outing, is out for the season with a knee harm, whereas shot-blocking Liberty middle Jonquel Jones stays sidelined with an ankle harm.
ALL-STAR WEEKEND
Wednesday’s sport might operate as one thing as a preview for Friday night time’s 3-point contest to kick off All-Star weekend in Indianapolis.
That’s as a result of Ionescu and Clark are each set to compete within the occasion, the WNBA introduced Tuesday.
Ionescu gained the 3-point contest in 2023, setting a document with 37 factors within the remaining spherical. This can be Clark’s first time collaborating.
Additionally set to participate are Los Angeles’ Kelsey Plum, Washington’s Sonia Citron and Atlanta’s Allisha Grey, who gained the occasion final 12 months.
Liberty level guard Natasha Cloud, in the meantime, is ready to compete within the All-Star abilities problem, as are Grey, Minnesota’s Courtney Williams, and Seattle’s Skylar Diggins and Erica Wheeler.
