Caitlin Clark's much-anticipated return falls flat as Fever suffer blowout loss to Valkyries

Caitlin Clark made her long-awaited return to the court on Wednesday afternoon, but the Indiana Fever did not fare well against the Golden State Valkyries. 

The Fever were blown out by the Valkyries, 80-61, in a game where Clark went just 4-of-12 from the field for 10 points with six assists and five rebounds. 

Heading into the game, it was interesting to see how head coach Stephanie White would deploy Clark, who noted she doesn’t necessarily like being on a minute restriction. 

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Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark dribbles the ball as Golden State Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes defends at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. (Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images)

Clark made 25 minutes, while averaging 33.3 over her first nine games. However, her time on the court may have been down due to the score late in the game. 

Golden State went into the fourth quarter owning a strong 64-51 lead, a big portion of that due to a 20-9 second quarter that created a large halftime deficit for Indiana. 

When the Fever weren’t able to get back into the game, Clark was taken out with minutes still left to play, and she never saw the court again. 

Either way, it wasn’t the best game overall for the Fever, as Kelsey Mitchell, Clark’s guard counterpart, went just 3-for-13 from the field. And she wasn’t the only one to struggle, as the Fever shot just 30.9% (21-for-68) from the field as a team. 

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark shoots the ball while Golden State Valkyries forward Monique Billings defends at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. (Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images)

The Valkyries weren’t much better, going just 26-for-70 from floor, but Veronica Burton and All-Star Kayla Thornton did well to cash in when it mattered most. 

Burton led the game with 21 points, while hauling in eight rebounds and dishing out six assists. She was cash from beyond the arc, hitting all but one of her six three-point attempts. 

Thornton didn’t have the best shooting game (4-for-15), but she was able to notch 18 points thanks to four made three-pointers and six free throws. 

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark  in the first half against Golden State Valkyries. (Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images)

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The Fever will look to get back in the win column against a tough opponent in the Atlanta Dream on Friday night at home. The Dream are 12-7 on the year, while Indiana fell to 9-10. 

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