BOSTON ― As forgetful as Caitlin Clark’s final stat line on Tuesday may look, the memory of seeing the Fever’s star play for the first time in Boston will not be forgotten by those in attendance.
Clark finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Her shooting touch was off all night, hitting just four of 14 from the field and connecting on one of seven shots from downtown.
But for each assist and each made basket, the instantaneous roar of celebration that followed only highlighted the dominant presence of Clark’s support at the TD Garden.
Clark gave away a turnover on her first play of the game, before getting Fever’s offense rolling. She dished out two assists for Aliyah Boston and Natasha Howard before driving to the hoop and scoring a one-handed running layup off the glass.
Indiana steamrolled through the first four minutes, scoring their first seven shots to jump out to a 15-8 lead and force a Connecticut timeout.
Clark was first subbed out a little over midway through the first before returning for the final minute and a half with the Fever lead down to just one, which remained the lead at the end of the first.
Clark scored just two points in the opening quarter, but recorded four assists, three of which found Howard. The former Seminole led the Fever with 10 points in the first, shooting a perfect five-for-five from the field.
The Fever maintained a slim advantage through most of the second and entered halftime in front, 44-42.
Natasha Howard led all scorers with 12 points and Kelsey Mitchell added 11 points for Indiana. Clark had five points at the half and remained at four assists.
Clark struggled to start the third quarter, missing three shots before being subbed out briefly with under four minutes.
On her first play upon returning, Clark contributed by setting up Sophie Cunningham for her fifth assist. But Clark’s scoring struggles on the night continued, missing her next two shots.
Clark’s first points of the second half did not come until 3:41 left in the game, sinking a pair of free throws to extend the Fever’s lead to seven, their largest since the first quarter.
But 41 seconds later, Clark’s first three of the night, setting off a roar of applause that rang through the city.
The Fever navigated the closing minutes of the game without much trouble. But in the final minute of the game, Clark appeared to pick up an injury right before setting up Mitchell with her seventh assist.
Clark appeared to injured her groin again and was subbed off before time expired, visibly expressing her displeasure with the possible injury.
“No update. She felt something in her groin,” Fever coach Stephanie White said after the game. “She’ll get it evaluated.”
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