Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark delivered a standout performance, outplaying Angel Reese in a hard-fought 100-81 victory over the Chicago Sky at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois, on Friday. From effortlessly blowing past defenders with her silky handles to nailing her signature step-back 3-pointer, Clark had everything clicking from the tip-off as she registered a career-high in points.
Clark showcased her poise by delivering an electrifying double-double in a challenging, hostile environment. The former Iowa Hawkeyes star was fired up for the blockbuster game and quickly found her offensive rhythm. Beyond her scoring, the rookie excelled in setting up her teammates.
Clark finished with 15 points, seven assists and three rebounds, shooting an efficient 6-of-9 from the field, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc in the first half. The halftime break didn’t slow down the All-Star, who came out of the locker room strong. She added six points, grabbed a rebound and dished out two assists in the third quarter.
Clark kept the pressure on in the fourth quarter, setting a career-high in points. She scored a further 10 points in the final period of the game.
She finished the game with 31 points in 32:25 minutes of play. The leading Rookie of the Year contender shot 8-of-14 from the field, including 5-of-9 from beyond the arc, and was nearly perfect at the free throw line, hitting 10-of-11.
Clark, who leads the league in assists, also dished out 12 dimes, grabbed four rebounds, and recorded one steal. Despite three turnovers, she posted a plus/minus of +23.
Here are Caitlin Clark's stats against Chicago Sky:
Fans react to Caitlin Clark's spectacular double-double game
Hoops fans were in awe of Caitlin Clark after the Fever rookie delivered one of the finest performances of her professional career to date:
"If she doesn’t win Rookie of the Year then it’s all fixed. She is also leading them to win now a lot of games and her stat line is crazy. 31-12 is an amazing line," a fan wrote on X/Twitter.
"I am a Boomer from Indiana and it is a true pleasure to watch Caitlin Clark play the game," commented another fan.
"Hoops is so lucky to be graced with Wemby and CC in the same season," said another fan.
With the victory, the Indiana Fever improved to 16-16 and moved to sixth in the standings.