UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Welcome to the WNBA. Don’t say Diana Taurasi didn’t try to warn everyone.
Caitlin Clark is no longer at Iowa, even if the game-day atmosphere gave that impression at Mohegan Sun Arena. And if Alyssa Thomas of the Connecticut Sun didn’t make it clear in the first few minutes, DeWanna Bonner got the job done in the final minutes.
The 15-year veteran made a 3-point play to push the lead back to 16 points and then stood there, stomping his chest for nearly a minute, and the time for Clark’s heroics was ticking down. Once he was a few feet down, Thomas screamed out again and again that night. The sold-out crowd of 8,910 still fell short of the Sun’s 2023 season record, but Dijonai Carrington’s late-game call came back to celebrate Connecticut’s 92-71 victory. responded.
No matter how great she was in college or eventually turned pro, no talent from any generation could come into the home of a veteran team and shine in their rookie debut. The Connecticut Sun are a franchise so used to discrediting stigma that they’ve built an entire identity around it. And for the past few months, all they’ve heard is how Clark will set the league on fire, win MVP and one day pass the scoring record.
The only record the rookie claimed on opening night was the Indiana Fever franchise record for turnovers (10), which was also the most in a WNBA debut. The team totaled 25 points, more than the quiet 20 points Clark scored on an inefficient 5-of-15 shooting (4-of-11 from 3) in his first official WNBA game. Ta.
“Connecticut came in and they punched us in the mouth tonight,” Indiana Fever head coach Christy Sides said. “That’s who they are. The Connecticut Sun are a good team.”
“I thought we were OK the first few possessions, but then they started running and we really struggled to score,” Clark said. “So I definitely agree with the coach.”
To put it more bluntly, the reality is harsh. That’s all Taurasi was saying.
Clark said his first impressions of the first game revolved around the physicality. Thomas’ arrival is a welcome moment to the league that has tantalized fans ever since the schedule was announced and Clark announced he would enter the WNBA draft. Thomas did a veteran job early, drawing two quick fouls from Clark and forcing his guard to drop to the bench half way through the first quarter. The crowd roared and Thomas headed to the free-throw line with a smile on his face.
As much as Clark drew attention as the night wore on, the spotlight shifted to Thomas’ shoulder and her two torn labrums. The MVP runner-up averaged nearly a triple-double last season and picked up where he left off with a 13-point, 13-assist, 10-rebound performance after losing in MVP voting, the second closest in league history.
“For me personally, I felt like a lot of people felt like last season was a fluke and the same thing wasn’t going to happen this season,” said Bonner, who moved into fifth place on the all-time scoring list on Tuesday. “that’s why, [Thomas] The great thing about her is that she can set the tone and be like, “Oh, that wasn’t a fluke, it’s back again.” ”
Thomas, an 11-year veteran, sliced through defenders and rebounded his own shot at the start of the fourth. When Sun head coach Stephanie White didn’t like the guard matchup, she brought in Thomas to stick with Clark on the perimeter. . The fourth quarter was Clark’s most active and successful, until the veterinarian’s opinion.
“Longtime fans of the WNBA know exactly what kind of player she is,” White said. “For us to introduce her to a new audience, [to] Discover her versatility, competitive spirit and approach to the game [and] How professional is she? It was big. That was one of the most exciting things I wanted to happen tonight. ”
Millions of people followed Clark and her rookie class from the college ranks to the WNBA. The WNBA has talented players like Thomas on every roster. She did everything and was everywhere like she had her entire career. But the best fit for Clark was Carrington, a three-year reserve who moved into a starting role this year.
“It was automatic because that’s her job. She’s an elite defender,” White said of the matchup.
Before the excitement wore off, Clark got the Fever to Aliyah Boston for the Fever’s first points of the year on the opening possession. It was a task Clark had talked about earlier in the day that he wanted to accomplish. Clark missed his first three attempts and did not score his first career point until 5:24 into the second quarter. It was a play she had predicted two hours earlier.
“Honestly, I was hoping I could get a layup on the first basket,” Clark told reporters before the game. “Why not start with a high probability?”
Against the Sun’s elite defense, they were all but gone for everyone. Clark’s expected first three missed on a 26-foot shot 30 seconds before halftime. She hit three more in the contest, some of which responded to Sun’s scores, but she had none to start the Iowa legend’s iconic RBIs. Clark added three assists and had two more in the next three quarters to avoid further foul trouble.
Nalyssa Smith continued her strong preseason run with 13 points as the Fever’s only double-digit scorer, going just 5 of 12 from the field. Boston once again struggled to make shots, scoring just four points (2-of-6 shooting). Erica Wheeler and Kelsey Mitchell returned from playing in the preseason with ankle injuries and each came off the bench with eight points. The Fever attempted 50 shots, while the Sun had 66.
The Fever has promise, but it will take more than 10 practices and two preseason warmups to reach that potential. Sides began the day by describing the team’s May schedule as “incredibly” strong, but by the end of the night he called it “not kind.” The team chartered home near midnight Tuesday to prepare for Thursday’s home opener against championship runner-up New York Liberty. The Fever heads to Brooklyn for a rematch on Saturday.
The reality is, there are no real holidays in this league. For now, a tough opponent is closing in faster than Clark’s threes. The group does not have time to practice and the main option remains film.
“The biggest challenge for me is what I told these guys is, we don’t have time to sit in this game and just be mad or upset,” Sides said. “We have to move forward. We have to get to New York and make sure we can do better tonight.”
Mr. Clark and Mr. Smith held similar views. Clark said they were “back to square one,” and Smith added that it was their responsibility as professionals to do so. They didn’t say it was easy.
“I know the outside world thinks I’m going to do something great, but it might take some time,” Clark said at the morning shooting range. “Even if things don’t get perfect right away or one game isn’t as great as I wanted it to be, give yourself grace and keep learning and improving from there.”