Caitlin Clark Shook Off Ice-Cold Start With Shot That Shows Her Unwavering Confidence

The star rookie fought through an uncharacteristic first half against the Aces on Friday night.
Clark registered 18 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in the Fever's 78–74 loss to the Aces on Friday.
Clark registered 18 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in the Fever's 78–74 loss to the Aces on Friday. / Grace Smith/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
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Caitlin Clark got off to an uncharacteristic slow start in the Indiana Fever's 78–74 loss to the Las Vegas Aces on Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Clark went 0-for-6 from the field to start the game and also missed two free-throw attempts in the first quarter. She committed three fouls, three turnovers and was whistled for her sixth technical foul of the season before her first bucket of the night—a layup—rattled in with 7:40 to play in the third quarter.

Still, though, Clark remained confident. Although she misfired on her first four attempts from deep, Clark didn't hesitate pulling up from eight feet beyond the perimeter and swishing a 30-foot three-pointer to trim the Aces' lead to nine points.

As the saying in basketball goes: Shooters shoot.

Clark went on to score 14 points in the third quarter alone and finished the game with 18 points on 7-of-18 shooting to go along with nine assists, eight rebounds and one steal.

The rookie phenom also shattered more WNBA history Friday night, as she surpassed Connecticut Sun star Alyssa Thomas for the most assists in a single season. With two games to play, Clark has tallied 321 assists—five more than Thomas's previous record set in 2023 and 28 more than any other WNBA player this season.

Clark will return to the court Sunday for a matchup against the Dallas Wings before wrapping up the regular season Thursday against the Washington Mystics.


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Tom Dierberger

TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.