Caitlin Clark didn’t wait for the game to warm up before she put on a show. The opening possession of Tuesday’s matchup at Gainbridge Fieldhouse told the whole story of what was coming.
On Indiana’s first trip down the floor against the New York Liberty, Clark spun her defender around so hard the player hit the floor. She calmly walked to the three-point line and drained the wide-open shot, setting the tone for a night that ended in a 106-92 Fever win. The victory pushed Indiana to 21-12 on the season and fourth in the WNBA standings.
That opening sequence turned out to be a preview, not a peak. Clark kept finding ways to torch New York’s defense from every angle, finishing with 22 points, 10 assists and four rebounds while shooting 4-of-8 from three. The performance marked her ninth game this season with at least 20 points and 10 assists, extending her own WNBA record for the feat.
Midway through the second quarter, Clark added another highlight that had the basketball world buzzing. Facing a switch onto two-time MVP Breanna Stewart, Clark retreated behind the arc and rose over the 6-foot-4 forward’s outstretched arms for a 28-foot triple. The shot pushed Indiana’s lead to 39-27 and sent reaction accounts into overdrive.
“Caitlin Clark with the iso 3 vs Stewie she’s not playing fair tonight,” the Clark Report posted on X.
Another fan account, Hoop Central, added simply, “CAITLIN CLARK IS RIDICULOUS. MAKES IT LOOK EASY.”
Clark wasn’t done testing size mismatches either. Later in the frame, she rose over Liberty center Han Xu, who stands at 6-foot-11, and drained another triple to extend the Fever’s lead. Indiana was so pleased with the sequence that the team posted a slow-motion replay afterward captioned, “and with that, goodnight.”
By halftime, Clark had 18 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 4-of-5 from deep, as Indiana built a commanding 64-46 lead. The Fever finished the half shooting 79 percent from three, a franchise record, and Liberty star Breanna Stewart summed up the damage bluntly afterward.
“They shot the sh-t out of the ball,” Stewart said. “Obviously, we know that they have tons of capable shooters to do that. We just need to keep up that pace, and that’s something we can continue to be better at and be more intentional.”
Caitlin Clark’s Highlight Reel Comes With Real Statistical Weight
The flashy sequences weren’t just for the cameras. Clark’s double-double moved her past Sue Bird for third all-time among guards in 20-point, 10-assist games, a milestone she reached in just 82 career games compared to Bird’s 580. She’s now six games clear of the field in that category league-wide.
Kelsey Mitchell matched Clark’s fireworks with her own, scoring 28 points and extending her streak of 20-plus-point games to 17 straight. Aliyah Boston added 19 points and seven rebounds in the frontcourt, while Sophie Cunningham hit four triples off the bench for 12 points.
New York got 19 points apiece from Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu. Still, the Liberty shot just 30 percent from three and turned the ball over 13 times, unable to match Indiana’s pace despite outscoring the Fever 44-34 in the paint. New York fell to 20-14 with the loss.
Clark is doing all of this while managing a lingering back issue that has kept her on the injury report with a probable tag in recent weeks, though she hasn’t missed a game since July 9. With Indiana set to face three top-eight teams in its next five matchups, including two more meetings with Dallas, the Fever will need every bit of that highlight-reel confidence to hold their playoff position.