The Sparks beat the Indiana Fever 88-82 as Clark finally found her mojo in the WNBA.

McDonald vs Fever

McDonald vs FeverLAPRESSE

 

As a common-sense rule in sports, you don’t want to allow the other team’s best player to have a free, open-play, shot at goal and that was in full effect during the Los Angeles Sparks‘ victory over the Indiana Fever with how they approached Caitlin Clark.

The overall first pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft has had a difficult start to live in the top level of women’s basketball but appeared to be finding her groove at last as she sunk 30 points for the first time in her career as a professional.

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But that left the Sparks eager and desperate to shut her down, culminating in a hilarious moment when Aari McDonald was shooting some free throws. As she took her first shot and scored, McDonald seemed to forget she had another bite at the cherry.

She quickly rushed over to Clark to tie her up immediately and begin marking her, as the Sparks‘ number 15 got in the 22-year-old’s face to gloat about adding to her team’s tally before realizing she had to shoot again.

It highlights how feared the NCAA record points holder (both woman and outright) is and the urgency to ensure she doesn’t get a chance to quickly go up to the other end of the court and reduce any arrears.

Clark is famous for her ability to sink three-pointers, meaning if she’s unmarked from a free-throw sequence then the bonus two points could easily become a one-point deficit if she hits one of her logo threes.

 

Clark begins to warm to the WNBA

The two-time AP Women’s College Basketball Player of the Year has struggled to adapt to the WNBA of late, with her Fever side struggling to get the offense going. They possess a 1-7 (.125) record through eight games, whilst Clark has averaged 17.3 points per game, 5.4 rebounds per game and 6.3 assists per game.

But there is life in her yet as Clark attempts to lead the Fever up an Eastern Conference they finished 2023 last in, as she posted 30 points, five rebounds and six assists against the Sparks in 34 minutes. That’s more like the Clark who wrote headlines at the Iowa Hawkeyes.