It hasn’t taken long for things to turn sour for the 2024 No.1 overall pick. For the second consecutive game, Caitlin Clark’s night ended up being a disappointment. The NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer was at the receiving end of a ruthless offensive onslaught courtesy of Breanna Stewart as the Indiana Fever lost their home debut 102-66. Moreover, the blowout loss also resulted in an unwanted record attached next to their name.

Popular ESPN journalist Alexa Philippou was among the many having a close eye on the game. Soon after its conclusion, she took to her X account and shared an unappealing outcome about the Indiana Fever. She posted, “Indiana has been outscored by 57 points its first two games — the largest point deficit in WNBA history for a team through its first two games.”

The first regular game of the Fever against Connecticut saw them lose by a margin of 21 points. Things were no different for them in front of a sellout crowd of 17,247 at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Last season’s runner-ups, New York Liberty, were in control from the start, which resulted in them taking a 25-16 lead by the end of the first quarter. Despite the Fever closing the gap to 32-27 in the second quarter, a 12-0 run led by Breanna Stewart made the scoreline 44-27 at the halfway point.

Following this, the home team had 12 straight points of their own with Caitlin Clark contributing with the first seven. However, another 12-0 run in the opening minutes of the penultimate quarter saw the Liberty close the game with a difference of 36 points. Meanwhile, from an individual point of view, Caitlin Clark performed well below her standards.

An unpleasant home debut for Caitlin Clark

Clearly, the 6-foot guard made some dramatic improvements on her turnovers as she had just 3 by the end of the night, as compared to the 10 she had in the last game. Still, her scores didn’t reflect the immense potential she has. In her 30 minutes on the hardwood, Caitlin Clark could register only 9 points and 6 assists in which she was 2 of 8 from the field and just 1 of 7 from the 3-point range.


USA Today via Reuters

In addition to this, the 2× USBWA National Player of the Year couldn’t overcome her foul trouble as she had 4 fouls next to her name. Nonetheless, she converted all her chances from the free-throw line. It was also rather a better game for her defensively as she was able to grab 7 rebounds along with 1 block for the night.

A challenging time for Caitlin Clark very early in her professional career. With the kind of reputation she has, fans will hope that she has the ability to bounce back when the Fever take a trip to the Barclays Center next. But before that, she needs to make some serious adjustments in her game.