Caitlin Clark, the top pick in the WNBA draft, secured her first career win with the Indiana Fever against the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday night. The game was played at Crypto.com Arena, where one of Clark's idols, Kobe Bryant, had previously played.
Clark wore her favorite Kobe Bryant shoes and spoke about the honor it was to play in a building with so much history. However, she struggled in the first three quarters of the game and only had five points at halftime. The Fever trailed by 11 points but came back strongly in the second half.
The turning point of the game was Indiana's defensive performance in the third quarter, where they limited Los Angeles to just eleven points. This helped turn the tide of the game and gave Indiana a chance to come back.
Clark stepped up in the final minutes of regulation, making two crucial shots that sealed their first win. She finished with 11 points on 4-for-14 shooting but contributed significantly with eight assists, ten rebounds, and four steals.
Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever's scoring effort in the fourth quarter with 18 points. Indiana outscored Los Angeles by a margin of 28-18 in the second half to secure their first win of the season.
The sellout crowd at Crypto.com Arena was treated to an exciting finish as Clark hit two clutch shots, earning her a high-five from Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, who were in attendance. The Fever will look to build on this win when they face the Las Vegas Aces on Saturday.
