Indiana Fever fans can celebrate after Caitlin Clark’s first game in Gainbridge Fieldhouse resulted in a win.
The No. 1 overall pick finished with 12 points, eight rebounds, and six assists on 4-of-12 shooting as the Fever defeated the Dream 83-80 in both squads’ final preseason game Thursday.
It didn’t look pretty early in the first quarter, as Atlanta got out to a hot start, benefitting from their fast pace. The Dream established an 18-8 lead halfway through the first quarter, shooting seven-of-nine from the field.
Clark had her highlight moments throughout, aiding the Fever’s comeback. A pair of 3-pointers and an and-1 were key from Clark, but she was played tightly on the perimeter.
The Atlanta defense didn’t allow her to easily pull from distance. This ultimately opened the passing lanes, and Clark took advantage. She found open cutters, rollers, and spot-up shooters throughout the game.
The stronger, more physical defense in the WNBA will be something to monitor as Clark continues to adapt. Nonetheless, she only picked up two fouls compared to her four in her last game.
Clark did, however, have a high turnover count again. She had six tonight after totaling five in her debut. She averaged 4.6 per game across four years at Iowa.
Her highly anticipated WNBA debut will come on the road against the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday, May 14 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
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Fever vs. Dream score
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Caitlin Clark stats
Points: 12Rebounds: 8Assists: 6Steals: 0Blocks: 1FGs: 4/12
Caitlin Clark live updates, results, highlights from 2024 WNBA preseason
(All times Eastern)
FINAL: Fever 83, Dream 80
9:07 p.m.: WOW! Atlanta couldn’t get a shot off as Berger denies a contested 3-pointer as the shot clock expires. Fever come away with the win 83-80.
9:04 p.m.: The Fever turn it over! The Dream have possession down 83-80 with 19.1 seconds remaining. Just a one-second differential on the shot and game clock.
9:02 p.m.: Tough finish for Smith to put the Fever back up by seven points. Just over a minute to play.
TOUGH bucket from NaLyssa Smith 💪 pic.twitter.com/agqCEyVW4e
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) May 10, 2024
9 p.m.: The Fever are in the bonus with 2:41 remaining. They will get free throws for the rest of the way. Indiana leads 81-76 now.
8:59 p.m.: The Dream are back within three points! Indiana leads 79-76 with 2:51 to go. Smith leads all scorers with 19 points for the Fever.
8:53 p.m.: Six minutes through the fourth quarter and the Dream only have four points. Indiana leads 79-70.
8:45 p.m.: The Fever have maintained a steady lead through four minutes of the fourth quarter. Indiana is up 77-70.
3Q: Fever 70, Dream 66
8:33 p.m.: Nia Coffey hits back-to-back 3-pointers as Dream trail by four points.
8:24 p.m.: Just because she’s not knocking down shot after shot, doesn’t mean the defense can leave her open. As soon as she gets a wide-open look, she hits a 31-foot 3-pointer to give the Fever the 68-60 lead with 2:15 remaining in the third.
a deep triple from Caitlin Clark 🎯 pic.twitter.com/EA5QUxgeQ5
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) May 10, 2024
8:22 p.m.: Shots aren’t falling for Clark tonight, but the defense is respecting her range. She’s instead controlling the game through her passes. Clark has six assists thus far.
8:16 p.m.: Clark with the rejection and assists Katie Lou Samuelson on the next possession to put the Fever up 62-60 with under five to play in the third.
8:14 p.m.: Boston rejects a layup, and Smith comes down the other way to hit another 3-pointer. She’s up to 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting.
not in Aliyah Boston’s house ❌ pic.twitter.com/qsEAboRoXX
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) May 10, 2024
8:11 p.m.: NaLysaa Smith has been on fire tonight, scoring her 16th point to give the Fever the lead.
HALF: Dream 49, Fever 48
7:53 p.m.: Taylor grabs the offensive rebound and lays in a bucket before the buzzer to cut the lead once again. Dream lead 49-48 at the half.
Celeste Taylor’s BUZZER BEATER to end Q2 🚨 pic.twitter.com/OQuhnL5lEu
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) May 10, 2024
7:51 p.m.: Atlanta’s defense has been playing tight on Clark, not allowing her breathing room to pull from deep 3-point range. It’s opened the door for Clark to find her teammates in the paint.
7:45 p.m.: Celeste Taylor nails a 3-pointer off Grace Berger’s feed to cut the lead to just four points. Dream lead 49-45 with 2:29 remaining in the half.
7:43 p.m.: Clark knocks down her first 3-pointer of the evening after missing her first four attempts. She’s up to eight points.
7:38 p.m.: The Fever have picked up the pace, knocking down more shots, but they still trail by 10 points midway through the second quarter. Clark has been fairly quiet still with five points and four assists.
7:33 p.m.: The Dream have dominated the second quarter through three minutes of play. They lead 41-30 as Rhyne Howard leads with 10 points. Atlanta is shooting 14-of-21 as a team.
1Q: Dream 30, Fever 24
7:19 p.m.: AND-1! Clark speeds past a defender and weaves her way into the paint for the and-1. Indiana still trails 27-17.
Caitlin Clark with the drive and bucket + the foul. Crowd loves it. pic.twitter.com/GySKVGh7kL
— Tony East (@TonyREast) May 9, 2024
7:17 p.m.: Clark has taken on more of a facilitating role in tonight’s preseason match. Multiple different forwards have been used in a Clark pick-and-roll. She’s up to four assists on the night.
7:09 p.m.: The Dream’s pace has been fast to start the match. They lead 18-8 with 5:43 left in the first quarter. Atlanta is shooting 7-of-9 from the field.
7:08 p.m.: The Clark to Aliyah Boston pick and roll is in full effect as they connect for Boston’s second bucket of the night.
7:07 p.m.: Clark scores her first points in the Gainbridge Fieldhouse on a right-handed layup. Dream lead 8-4.
Caitlin Clark drives into the lane for 2⃣ pic.twitter.com/lByqcMV0h6
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) May 9, 2024
7:04 p.m.: Clark picks up her first personal foul about 90 seconds into the game.
7:02 p.m.: Game is underway as the Fever win the tip.
6:58 p.m.: Erica Wheeler is also out for the Fever.
6:40 p.m.: The Fever announced that Damiris Dantas and Kelsey Mitchell are out with injuries.
6:11 p.m.: Here’s a couple pregame fits as the Indiana Fever get ready for their WNBA preseason home opener.
thursday night threads 🧵 pic.twitter.com/Oh8vfaIoYs
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) May 9, 2024
Fever vs. Dream start time
Date: Thursday, May 9Time: 7 p.m.
Clark will play her second and final preseason game against the Dream at 7 p.m. ET Thursday, May 9, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
While originally scheduled for Friday, May 10, the Fever-Dream preseason game was moved up by one day because of a scheduling conflict — the Pacers will host the Knicks in Game 3 of their second-round NBA Playoffs series Friday.
How to watch Fever vs. Dream
TV channel: N/ALive stream: WNBA app, WNBA League Pass
The preseason game between the Fever and Dream will not be available to watch on national TV, but it can be streamed online.
Fans can stream the game for free on the WNBA app or sign up for WNBA League Pass, which will carry games throughout the 2024 season.
Caitlin Clark WNBA schedule
DateGameTime (ET)TV/LivestreamMay 14Indiana Fever at Connecticut Sun7:30 p.m.ESPN2, TSN, SlingMay 16New York Liberty at Indiana Fever7 p.m.Amazon PrimeMay 18Indiana Fever at New York Liberty1 p.m.ABC, SlingMay 20Connecticut Sun at Indiana Fever7 p.m.ESPN, TSN, SlingMay 22Indiana Fever at Seattle Storm10 p.m.N/A
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