The Indiana Fever were in a position to draft Caitlin Clark #1 overall because they were the worst team in the WNBA. A few games into the season, despite the heroics of Caitlin Clark, it looks like they’re going to have the #1 pick again.
The Fever fell to the Los Angeles Sparks 88-82 on Tuesday night. However, their star player, Caitlin Clark, set a WNBA record with 30 points, three steals, and three blocks – a rookie single-game record.
Caitlin Clark, #22 of the Indiana Fever, drives to the basket against the Los Angeles Sparks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 28, 2024, in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
“Honestly, I think I just played with an aggressive mindset. I think that was the biggest thing,” Clark said after the game.
“I would’ve liked to make a couple more 3s, but I had to take some there at the end that were a little contested.”
Also, Clark’s 30 points are the third-best all-time franchise mark for a rookie. During Tamika Catchings’ rookie season with Indiana, she put up 32 points twice.
Still, it’s the wins that Clark wants most.
Caitlin Clark, #22 of the Indiana Fever, looks on in the game against the Los Angeles Sparks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 28, 2024, in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
“I thought we did some good things, and then we kind of just shot ourselves in the foot,” the former Iowa Hawkeye said after the game.
“They shot it, obviously, tremendous from the 3-point line. It’s just hard to win when they shoot 60% from 3, and we shoot 38% from the field. It’s just hard to win basketball games like that.”
At 1-7, the Fever’s competition for the #1 pick comes primarily from the winless Washington Mystics, who sit at 0-6.
It’s safe to say a race for the top pick is not what Clark envisioned when she entered the league. However, until her teammates can shoot better, box out, defend, block, get rebounds, and, you know, play basketball better, it’s difficult to see how it’s going to change.
