How was Caitlin Clark’s WNBA debut with the Indiana Fever?

Despite her struggles in her first WNBA Game, the No. 1 prospect in the sport showed all the signs that indicate she will be among the league’s best once she settles in. To that end we can only wait and watch as she starts her journey in the league.

Caitlin Clark’s WNBA debut wasn’t the best

On Tuesday night, Caitlin Clark made her highly anticipated WNBA debut for the Indiana Fever in what turned out to be a humbling 92-71 loss to the Connecticut Sun. Now, here is where things get a bit touchy. On the night, the Fever committed 25 turnovers, and of that tally, Clark was responsible for 10 - the most ever in a player’s debut. Worse yet is the fact that the Fever were able to score a staggering 29 points as a result of those errors, something that simply can’t happen when playing at this level.

“It was physical,” Clark said post Game as she acknowledged that she won’t be getting the same kind of calls that she enjoyed during her time with Iowa. Indeed, the WNBA is a completely different ball Game, both literally and figuratively. “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.” It’s important to note here that the Fever’s performance or lack there of wasn’t just down to them, but rather the intense defense played by the Sun. Connecticut even managed to draw four falls on Clark herself. “Obviously it wasn’t like the best start in the first half and myself getting into foul trouble,” she added. To her credit, Clark did end the Game with 20 points, but it’s clear that she needs to improve as she went 5 of 15 from the floor and 4 of 11 from the perimeter.

Again, these are early days, but the Fever and Clark will need to improve very quickly if they are to get something out of this campaign. Speaking after the game, Fever head coach Christie Sides was quick to point to the team’s lack of offensive productivity. “We got to have people coming back to the ball and then attacking getting in the paint,” Sides said. Consider for a moment that the Sun outscored the Fever on points in the paint, 32 to 28, and 15 to six in the second-chance points department. “We just weren’t able to get down to yield tonight at all. If we could have gotten our feet in the paint and collapsed their defense, we would have been able to, you know, get some of our shooters. We just didn’t get that.”

Next up for the Fever is a date with reigning MVP Breanna Stewart and the New York Liberty on Thursday night. If you didn’t know the Liberty played in last season’s WNBA Finals and were the Commissioner’s Cup champions, which is to say they will likely be an even bigger test for Clark and Co. who will be playing seven Games in 12 days, something that will almost certainly present new challenges for the rookie. “I thought it took me a little while to settle into the Game,” Clark said. “I felt the second half was a lot better...but just getting more comfortable...that’s just going to come with experience.”