Caitlin Clark went right back to work with a big game against the Phoenix Mercury in her first game after the Olympic hiatus on Friday.
The Indiana Fever rookie superstar, who didn’t get to play in the Olympics, dropped 29 points on the Mercury in a 98–89 win. Despite her dominant play in 36 minutes, she admitted she’s still adjusting from the nearly month-long Olympic break.
“Getting back in game shape has been, I think, pretty easy. We’ve been competing really hard at practice,” she said. “We had refs come in, I think, basically five to seven different times, and we’ve been playing live.”
Clark and company last played on July 17 before the Olympic break where she scored 24 points and dished 19 assists in a 101–93 loss to the Dallas Wings. She netted a double double again on Friday with 10 assists, and she helped below the basket with five rebounds.
Her three-point shooting looked as dangerous as ever with a 4–11 performance from beyond the arc. She also shot 8–16 inside the arc and 9–10 at the free-throw line.
“It was pretty fun,” Clark said. “We came out with a lot of energy, just continuing to find a way to sustain that, but at the same time, they’re a really good team. They’re not going to go away.”
Amid Clark’s best three-point shooting performance since July 10, she did a Michael Jordan impression when she stuck her tongue out after burying one of her three-pointers. Despite the Olympic snub, Clark has been the face of women’s basketball and now the WNBA, much like how Jordan became the face of the NBA in the 1980s and 1990s.
“It feels like I have good experience with that,” Clark said about her Jordan-like celebration and exciting the crowd. “I think that’s something I love to do, but at the same time, you’ve got to use it to help you.”
“It can’t like be a distraction,” she said. “You can’t let it be something that takes you out of your game. Just like let the fans help you, and they’re here. They’re being loud for us, and they were incredible tonight.”
Similar to Jordan, Clark has made a habit of setting records. She did that again on Friday as the first WNBA rookie to reach 450 points and more than 200 assists in a season.
In addition, Clark led the Fever to a win against a Mercury team that boasted three gold medalists from the U.S. women’s squad. Indiana led by as much as 28 points in the win.
Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell had a big part in that with 28 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Forward Aliyah Boston posted 14 points and nine rebounds, and NaLyssa Smith added 13 points and nine boards.
As for the three Olympians, Mercury guard Kahleah Copper posted a game-high 32 points. Fellow Olympians and Mercury players Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner scored 16 and 10 points apiece.
“We let them go on a run, but we responded. We let them go on another run, but we got to limit their runs,” Clark said. “I think that’s where we take our next step.”
“But I’m really proud of us,” she said.
