Caitlin Clark picked up where she left off in her college career. Playing in her first WNBA preseason game as an Indiana Fever guard, the all-time NCAA scoring leader hit a deep 3-pointer for her first bucket as a professional.
It was part of a night in which she scored a team-high 21 points in a 79-76 loss to the Dallas Wings in a preseason game. Despite the low stakes – Clark didn’t play much in the second half – she stood out in front of the sold-out crowd at College Park Center in Dallas.
“My biggest goal coming into tonight was to continue to be myself, play aggressive,” Clark said after the game, according to the Associated Press. “I thought that’s what I did. I think there’s a lot to be proud of.
“The crowd was great all night. That’s what you expect with a sellout. Those are going to be the same for the crowds all year long. So whether they’re cheering for you or cheering against you, you’d better get used to it.”
She led all scorers with 16 points in the first half.
She said it made all the difference to hit her first attempt of the night.
“I was able to get a pretty clean look for my first shot,” she said. “It’s always nice to see your first shot go in when you’re a shooter,” she said.
For the game, Clark went 6 of 15 from the field and 5-for-13 from 3-point land, adding three rebounds, two assists and two steals.