In a game that had more twists and turns than a rollercoaster, Caitlin Clark, the Indiana Fever’s rookie sensation, decided to spice up the night with a little drama of her own. The Fever cruised to an 84-79 victory over the Atlanta Dream, but not before Clark gave the crowd a heart attack – only to walk it off like a pro and then drop 19 points just because she could.
The game started with Clark attempting to finesse her way through a screen when, in true cinematic fashion, she rolled her left ankle. The star rookie hit the floor, let out a scream that echoed through State Farm Arena, and left everyone holding their breath. Was this the end of the night for the WNBA’s brightest star? Of course not. Clark, never one to miss a spotlight, got up on her own, took a breather on the bench, and returned to the court as if nothing had happened.
“I saw the replay and I look really soft,” Clark quipped after the game, brushing off the incident like she had just tripped over a stray shoelace. “It wasn’t that bad.” And with that, the “injury” scare turned into nothing more than a dramatic entrance to a stellar performance.
The Fever, apparently inspired by Clark’s flair for the dramatic, came out swinging. They opened the game with an 8-0 run, setting the tone early and never letting the Dream, or their faint playoff hopes, come close to reality. Kelsey Mitchell was in prime form, dropping 29 points like it was a walk in the park, while Aliyah Boston casually added a double-double to her resume with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
But let’s not forget about the Dream – or rather, let’s. Atlanta, who has been allergic to scoring all season, did what they do best: struggle offensively. They managed to shoot just 37% from the field, which, by their standards, might as well be a personal best. Despite a late push to make it interesting, the Dream couldn’t quite close the gap, proving once again that offense is still very much optional for them.
In case anyone thought the Fever were just playing to an empty house, think again. The presence of Caitlin Clark turned State Farm Arena into a sold-out spectacle. The Dream had to move the game from their cozy 5,000-seat home to the big leagues, packing in a jaw-dropping 17,608 fans – a new WNBA attendance record for the state of Georgia. Turns out, when Clark’s in town, people show up, even if it’s just to see her dramatically not get injured.
For those keeping score at home, Clark’s 19 points came with seven rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and a block for good measure. She even tied the rookie record for most made threes in a season, knocking down four on the night to bring her total to 85. Not bad for someone who had the crowd thinking she might be out for the game after just seven minutes.
As the Fever now sit at a respectable 14-16, with three wins in their last four games, they find themselves in the No. 7 seed, on the brink of clinching their first playoff berth in eight seasons. Not bad for a team that looked like it was going to need a miracle (or a Clark) just to stay relevant.
Next up, the Fever face the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday. Will Clark pull off another dramatic stunt? Who knows? But one thing’s for sure: you won’t want to miss it.
