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Caitlin Clark shakes off slow start for Fever by hitting two clutch shots to seal her FIRST WNBA win over Sparks and No. 2 draft pick Cameron Brink
Caitlin Clark made up for a slow start against Cameron Brink and the Los Angeles Sparks to seal her first WNBA win on Friday night.
The No. 1 draft pick and Indiana struggled through their first five games and headed into the City of Stars after an 85-83 loss to the Seattle Storm on Wednesday.
However, they did not let their lead slip away as they took the 78-73 win over LA in a house of 19,103 spectators.
Clark only had five points before reaching into her arsenal of long-range shooting to put the nail in the coffin in the dying minutes. With 2:27 left in the game, Clark hit a 33'foot pull-up to give Indiana a six-point cushion.
About a minute later, Brink responded with a three-pointer of her own from 26 feet. But as the Sparks cut the deficit to two, Clark hit another three to put the Fever on cruise control.
Caitlin Clark hit two clutch three-pointer as the Indiana Fever secured their first win
After losing their first five games, the Fever secured a 78-73 win over Cameron Brink and LA
Clark clocked in a double-double with 11 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists.
Meanwhile, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell each tallied 17 points as Temi Fagbenle came off the bench to lead Indiana in scoring with 18.
Brink, the second overall pick behind Clark, put in a 15-point and nine-rebound shift in their first WNBA meeting.
Dearica Hamby's double-double with 18 points and 11 boards kept the Sparks at bay until the final buzzer cemented the loss. Rickea Jackson's 21-minute shift off the bench resulted in 16 points.
With Clark Fever reaching Hollywood, the stars gathered at Crypto.com Arena to witness the WNBA's newest attraction get her first win. Postgame, Clark posed with USWNT stars Tobin Heath and Christen Press.
Clark hit two clutch three-pointers to finish with 11 points and 11 rebounds in the victory
Aliyah Boston led the way for Indiana with 17 points and six rebounds in 29 minutes of play
Celebrities gathered at Crypto.com Arena with 19,103 spectators to watch Clark play
The former University of Iowa star also met actor Ashton Kutcher after the game.
The That 70's Show star is also native to the Hawkeye State and attended Clark's alma mater in 1997 before being discovered by a local talent scout and began his entertainment career.
Other stars in attendance included Jason Sudeikis, Rosie O’Donnell, Kathy Griffin, DeMar DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls, Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors, and USC star JuJu Watkins along with teammate Rayah Marshall and coach Lindsay Gottlieb.
Prior to Friday’s Fever-Sparks game, Clark’s former college rival, Angel Reese, appeared to take a dig at the former Iowa star on X following her Chicago Sky’s win over the New York Liberty in Brooklyn on Thursday.
'And that's on getting a WIN in a packed area not just cause of one player on our charter flight. #SKYTOWN,' she wrote, with a blowing-a-kiss emoji at the end.
Clark has been credited with the surge of interest in the WNBA after being picked first by Indiana in April's Draft - the same event where Reese was picked by Chicago.
The two were also big rivals at college, with Reese playing at LSU while Clark was at Iowa.
Chicago Sky star Angel Reese took a slight dig at Clark after beating the New York Liberty
Reese has since deleted the tweet after playing in front of a packed Barclays Center
Clark and Reese shared a heated rivalry while playing for Iowa and LSU, respectively
Reese and the Sky did not have charter flights at the start of the season, but Clark and Indiana did while dropping their first five games.
Speaking Thursday, Reese hit out at suggestions women's basketball was surging off the back of Clark alone.
'It's not just one person, I think people don't realize that [because] the narrative out there is that just one person changing the game,' she said.
'It's a lot of us. There's so many great players and it's been long overdue and just being able to see that our impact has been able to change the game.
Nonetheless, Clark admitted in the postgame press conference that she is prioritizing her mental health amid all the attention - which includes avoiding social media.
Reese was selected by the Sky with the seventh overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft
'I think for myself it’s definitely been a whirlwind over the last couple of months,' Clark said. 'Honestly, I think I talk to the media more than I get to talk to my own family – I’m being dead serious – which is really kind of sad in a way. It’s a lot for somebody that’s 22 years old.
'It can be tough at times. Our team is really young. It’s difficult navigating this. I absolutely love it and wouldn’t change it for the world, but I think just getting off social media has been the healthiest thing. This is my job. This is what I love to do. I never want to lose the fun of the game. Nights like tonight just remind me of why I love playing basketball and why I started playing basketball.'
'You get a win, and then you walk off the floor and there are so many young kids just screaming your name. I think it’s the little things that remind me every single day why I do this and why I love it. Mental health is very important. It’s important for professional athletes, it’s important for student-athletes, it’s important for every single person in this world to feel like they have someone to talk to. I think it’s something we’ve all been trying to navigate.'
Clark and Reese will meet as pros for the first time when the Sky and the Fever square off on June 1.
Until then, Indiana will face the defending champion Las Vegas Aces on Saturday night as their West Coast trip continues.