Caitlin Clark delivered the kind of performance that left even her own coach searching for words, scoring a franchise-record 45 points to go with 10 assists and willing the Indiana Fever to a 110-107 comeback victory over the Seattle Storm on Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Fever head coach Stephanie White admitted she reacted more like a stunned fan than a strategist when the final stat sheet crossed her desk. “Holy s—!” White said, recalling her immediate reaction. She later expanded, calling the effort incredible and special, saying simply that Clark does things nobody has seen before in this league.
What made the night even more remarkable was that Clark was supposed to be on a minutes restriction due to a back injury that has bothered her all season. She had played only about 25 minutes in each of her previous two contests after sitting out one game entirely. But with Friday’s game hanging in the balance, there was never any real conversation about pulling her off the floor. Through a wry smile afterward, Clark said her coach and trainers know better than to try something like that in the fourth quarter, adding that she would have played on one leg if it came down to it. She finished with 29 minutes of playing time, becoming the first player in WNBA history to record at least 40 points and 10 assists in a single game.
Clark shot 11 of 18 from the field, knocked down six three-pointers, and went 17 for 19 from the free-throw line. Her signature moment came with just over half a minute remaining when she drained a 25-foot stepback three-pointer that gave Indiana a late lead they never surrendered. As she jogged back to the bench during Seattle’s timeout, Clark pointed at her chest and yelled toward the crowd, soaking in what was already her sixth triple of the night. Teammate Makayla Timpson, who started in place of injured All-Star center Aliyah Boston and grabbed nine rebounds, sat beside Clark postgame and called it greatness personified.
Beyond the offensive fireworks, Clark came up big defensively when it mattered most. With the score tied at 102 late in regulation, Timpson threw an errant pass that Storm guard Flau’jae Johnson intercepted near midcourt. Johnson appeared headed for an easy go-ahead layup until Clark won the footrace down the court, stripping the ball cleanly and forcing a turnover out of bounds. It was part of a stat sheet that included four steals and two blocks — numbers Clark jokingly referred to as pretty rare for herself. Kelsey Mitchell added 30 points of her own, making them the first pair of WNBA teammates ever to record a 40-point game and a 30-point game together. When told about various records she had set afterward, Clark shrugged and said she didn’t really care, turning focus instead toward Saturday’s matchup against the New York Liberty as if this had been just another day at work.
