Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark returned to the WNBA court after a nearly three-week absence due to injury, delivering an outstanding performance against the New York Liberty on Saturday.
Clark scored 32 points, including seven 3-pointers, and came close to another triple-double by adding nine assists and eight rebounds.
The effort helped the Fever secure a 102-88 victory and end the Liberty’s undefeated streak, having won the first nine games to begin the WNBA season. Not to mention, New York is the defending world champs.
It was a statement game for sure. Clark was letting the women in the league know that she was back, and she is continuing to improve with each passing game.
Indiana is now back to .500 for the season, and her teammates are no doubt breathing a sigh of relief after seeing Clark on the court once more.
An Icon of Women’s Basketball Left Speechless
Caitlin Clark’s remarkable display, particularly a 38-second stretch where she hit three deep 3-pointers, left Basketball Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo speechless.
Clark’s 3-pointers were notably long-range, with three from beyond 30 feet and the rest from at least 26 feet, well beyond the WNBA’s 22-foot 3-point line.
Lobo, a former Liberty star, praised Clark’s impact on ESPN’s “First Take,” pointing out her ability to drive WNBA viewership and attention.
“It means a lot more people are paying attention once again,” Lobo said, according to Awful Announcing. “We know how much Caitlin drives ratings. We know how much Caitlin drives attention on the WNBA. For her to come back and do it in that way was just ridiculous.”
“I’m sitting there at the end of the first quarter when she had that 38-second stretch where she drained deep three after deep three after deep three,” added Lobo. “I was just sitting there thinking, I’ve been around this league since 1997. I have never seen that in a WNBA game.”
“Have we seen players go on runs? Of course, we have, but not like that, not where a couple of the 3-pointers are from 30-plus feet.”
Caitlin Clark's 3-point distances in yesterday's win:
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) June 15, 2025
33 feet
27 feet
31 feet
26 feet
31 feet
27 feet
26 feet
the 3-point line is 22 feet. pic.twitter.com/ptpvq2WXsS
Caitlin Clark is Must-See TV
The Fever’s win marked their fifth victory of the season, with Clark’s return boosting the team’s performance after a 2-3 record in her absence.
Lobo highlighted Clark’s unique playstyle, combining deep shooting with exceptional passing, as something rarely seen in the WNBA.
Lobo also added a particular comment that highlights exactly why Caitlin Clark is the only must-see TV player the league currently has.
“It was an exhibition by her after being out for 19 days to recover from an injury,” she said. “Couple that with the other passes that she made and some of the other plays, it was just ridiculous.”
“It’s not often that you’re watching the WNBA, or that I’m watching it, and I’m like, ‘Wow, I’ve just never seen this before.’”
The WNBA’s ratings plummeted by over 50% while Clark was out with her injury.
Lobo was a standout basketball player in her own right, leading the University of Connecticut to an undefeated 1995 NCAA championship. She earned numerous accolades, including the Naismith Player of the Year, and went on to win a gold medal with the 1996 U.S. Olympic team.
