After sitting out five games with a left quadriceps injury, Caitlin Clark returned to the hardwood today as the Indiana Fever’s star player, facing the undefeated New York Liberty (9-0) in Indiana. If you’re not familiar with Clark injury, she hurt herself during a game against the Liberty on May 24, but she still scored 18 points and had 10 assists. Without her, the Fever went 2-3, and the league took a hit too-TV ratings dropped as fans missed their must-watch player. Her return is great news for the team and the WNBA as a whole. The stands are packed, and millions of people tune in to watch her play.
Clark’s Banged-Up Knees Stir the Crowd
Clark’s pre-game warmups looked pretty normal, but a Fever social media post made headlines for all the wrong reasons. The team hyped her new Nike Kobe 6 Protro PE’s “The Bellas” – a nod to her dog, Bella – but fans zeroed in on a photo of her shooting that showed her knees covered in bruises. “What’s going on with her knees?” was a popular comment, especially since she’d been out of the game for over three weeks. You could almost hear the collective gasp from the fanbase. But Clark? She laughed off the worry with her play. Look at the knees in the photo tho.
In the first half alone, she scored 25 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, and had 3 assists in just 16 minutes. The best part? Three straight triples from way downtown in just 38 seconds. That’s not a player dealing with an injury-that’s a superstar showing everyone she’s back and ready to chase her WNBA career-high 35 points, or maybe even her Iowa-era 49-point masterpiece.
Clark’s return isn’t just about the stats; it’s about the energy she brings to the team. The Fever were a popular pick to compete this year, tied with Minnesota behind the Liberty. With Clark healthy, that hype feels real again. It’s not clear if she’ll be able to beat the Liberty’s perfect record tonight, but one thing’s for sure: she’s got the skills, the grit, and the spotlight locked down.
Fever’s Next Tests and Clark’s Lucky Streak
The Fever’s got a long season ahead, and while dropping one to the Liberty wouldn’t be the end of the world, snagging a win against the champs would definitely get this squad fired up. They’ve got a tough week coming up. First, they’re hosting the Connecticut Sun, and then they’re hitting the road to face the new Valkyries and on Sunday A’ja Wilson’s Las Vegas Aces. Since those games fall on the same day, it looks like Clark won’t be able to make it to Game 6 of the NBA Finals.
The Indiana Pacers are 8-0 when she’s there, so it’s probably best she doesn’t try to go. It’s funny because she was there last night, left at halftime with the Pacers up, and they still lost. Coincidence? Maybe. But her real magic happens with the Fever, where her return has everyone buzzing about MVP talks-she was a preseason favorite alongside Wilson and Napheesa Collier for a reason.
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