Caitlin Clark returns with 32 points as Fever hand Liberty first loss of season

Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News on Jun 14, 2025

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Caitlin Clark is back.

The WNBA’s brightest young star returned Saturday afternoon against the Liberty after missing five games with a quad injury and lit up the defending champs in the Fever’s 102-88 victory at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Clark’s 32 points was enough to overcome Sabrina Ionescu’s 34 and hand the Liberty (9-1) their first loss of the season. It also put the Liberty at 3-1 in the Commissioner’s Cup standings.

Saturday was Clark’s first game since May 24 and she didn’t miss a beat.

The second-year phenom torched the Liberty with seven 3-pointers, which tied her career high.

With all eyes inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse — and across the country on the national telecast — on Clark, fans enjoyed a spectacular performance by the ex-Iowa Hawkeyes star from the opening tip.

She finished with 17 points in the first quarter. Nine of them were scored in a span of 45 seconds on three deep treys that left the Liberty flustered.

The first was fired just two seconds into the 24-second shot clock 33 feet away over Marine Johannes. Twenty seconds later, she made a 27-footer look easy with Natasha Cloud failing to stay high enough on Damiris Dantas’ screen.

The third 3-pointer took a bit more work. Johannes — with the first 3-pointer fresh in her mind — rightfully pressed up on Clark while working through a screen. Clark — already one of the smartest young players in the game — recognized Johannes overcommitting and crossed her over on the perimeter. What followed was a 31-footer that everyone in the arena knew was going in.

Despite the barrage, the Liberty managed to lead, 26-24, at the end of the first quarter.

The onslaught continued in the second, though, and even Breanna Stewart had to laugh about it. Stewart and Clark exchanged laughs after Clark drained a 3-pointer over the all-world defender at the 5:26 mark. It contributed to 25 points by halftime on 9-of-14 shooting (6-of-10 shooting from 3).

Most players would be ecstatic with that stat line after four quarters. Clark did it in under 20 minutes.

Ionescu, though, attempted to keep her team close as she totaled 17 points and three assists by halftime. She worked to pick up the load with star Jonquel Jones out with a right ankle injury. Jones’ absence compounded the void left with Leonie Fiebich overseas with Team Germany.

Ionescu’s efforts helped the Liberty trail by three by halftime, but Indiana’s 17-0 run in the third later put the Libs down 11, the biggest deficit at the time. The drought stretched to 19-0 before Kennedy Burke’s made a free throw at the 3:28 mark.

The Liberty also suffered a second-half drought in the first game against the Fever last month. In that game, they relied on Jones to get the team back in front.

On Saturday, Jones wasn’t available to save her team and its perfect record.

The drought stretched to 25-3 but a couple 3-pointers by Ionescu and Johannes kept the game close towards the end of the third. A Liberty 9-2 run shortened the deficit to nine entering the fourth. The Fever won the third quarter 27-21.

After entering the period down nine, Sandy Brondello’s team got within four in the final period. But they eventually fell victim to more treys: this time from Sydney Colson, Kelsey Mitchell and Sophie Cunningham. The Fever totaled 17 made treys on 35 attempts (48.6%), a mark too high for the Liberty to withstand.

It eventually doomed them and brought the Liberty back to reality after a fantastic start to the season.