The WNBA is back, and although preseason, night one already has fans buzzing.
The number one overall pick in the WNBA Draft Caitlyn Clark appeared in her first WNBA Action Friday night as the Fever lost to the Wings 79-76. Although it was only an exhibition game, College Park Center in Arlington hosted a sellout crowd.
Clark had 21 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in her preseason debut for the Fever.
Caitlyn Clark hardly saw time in the 3rd quarter due to picking up her fourth personal foul early in the second half.
She was the game leader in points, and it is already clear that the offense will run through her this season for Indiana. The Fever, who have had the first overall pick two years in a row (Aliyah Boston 2023) are looking to make their first playoff appearance this season since 2015. Last season, they improved to 13 wins on the season compared to 5 in 2022.
When asked about her team’s performance for the first time in professional basketball, she said “Overall, a lot to learn from. These are great learning experiences for us.”
Dallas, who had the best season in Wings history last year (22-18), also had a top rookie on the floor as Jacy Sheldon out of Ohio State was selected fifth overall by the club. Sheldon came off the bench for her first game with Dallas and saw the court for 13 minutes. She created an impact in her short time out there however, and recorded 6 points, 1 rebound and two assists.
The game was decided by a three pointer with seconds to go by Arike Ogunbowale. She finished the night with 19 points.
The breakout player tonight for the Wings was guard Jaelyn Brown. Also classified as a rookie, Brown scored 21 points trying Clark for the game high. She also recorded 5 rebounds. After going undrafted, and being signed after playing internationally, many believe that she is battling for one of the final roster spots on the Wings 12-person roster. If that’s still the case, she seems to have the edge before the May 13th deadline hits as Friday’s game was the only preseason game for the Wings.
Next for the Wings is the regular season opener on May 15th at home against the Chicago Sky.
As for the Fever, they will have one more exhibition game at home in Indianapolis on Thursday May 9th against the Atlanta Dream. They open the regular season on May 14th to take on the Connecticut Sun.
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