Uncasville, Conn. — Caitlin Clark struggled early in her WNBA debut before finishing with 20 points and 10 turnovers as the Indiana Fever fell to the Connecticut Sun 92-71 Tuesday night.
Alyssa Thomas led the Sun with 13 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds, registering the 12th triple-double of her career. DeWanna Bonner added 20 points and DiJonai Carrington had 16. Carrington also was a major reason for Clark’s early offensive struggles, hounding the guard.
“Disappointed and nobody likes to lose, that’s how it is,” Clark said. “Can’t beat yourself up too much about one game.”
M. Anthony Nesmith / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The NCAA’s all-time Division I scoring leader, who finished the game 5 for 15 from the field, went scoreless in the first quarter. She missed her first four shots before finally getting on the board midway through the second period.
Clark stole the ball around the foul line and drove the length of the court before laying the ball in. She later added two free throws and hit a 3-pointer with 29.9 seconds left in the first half to finish the opening 20 minutes with seven points, hitting two of her seven shot attempts. The Fever trailed 49-39 at the break.
The Fever got within 63-57 late in the third quarter on two free throws by Clark, but couldn’t get closer the rest of the way.
Clark did start heating up from the field, hitting four 3-pointers, including one from long range.
“Caitlin was able to get her some looks, able to knock them down. our spacing was not great,” Indiana coach Christie Sides said. “Connecticut came in and punched us in the mouth tonight. We’ll be in the gym tomorrow watching a lot of video trying to figure out how not to turn the ball over 25 times.”
Clark broke the WNBA all-time record for turnovers in a debut game that was held by Cynthia Cooper-Dyke. Clark had 10.
CBSSports.com’s Erica Ayala says Clark had “an unorthodox double double — 20 points and 10 turnovers.”
Ayala continued: “It was physical,” said Clark after the game, learning quickly that the calls she might have been used to getting — or perhaps even getting away with -– at Iowa were not going to fly in the WNBA. “Just expecting physicality was the biggest thing. Like there’s no calls you’re gonna get. The [defense] is going to get those calls, it is what it is.”
