Caitlin Clark will be relying on the home crowd to help her rebound from Tuesday night’s loss against the Connecticut Sun when the Indiana Fever play their home opener against the New York Liberty Thursday night.
Clark, 22, spoke to reporters following her lackluster debut in the WNBA earlier this week.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) drives past Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington during a WNBA game May 14, 2024, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. (M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The former Iowa star was adamant about not getting caught up in the negative after the double-digit loss to the Sun, a mindset she continued to embrace Thursday afternoon ahead of the Fever’s game against the Liberty.
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“I’m really excited. I think the crowd’s going to be really good. We’re going to need it to use for our advantage,” she told reporters.
“The Liberty is a really good team. Our schedule is not easy by any means, but when you’re in this league and there’s 12 teams — everybody’s good all across the board — you have to show up every single night. But I think the biggest thing is, we played on Tuesday, and it wasn’t exactly what we wanted.
“But we get to come back tonight on our home court and have an opportunity to play better, to learn, to fix things.”
Connecticut’s defense limited Clark in the first half of Tuesday’s game. She went scoreless in the first 15 minutes and struggled with her signature 3-point shot. Despite the pressure, Clark adjusted.
Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever, right, controls the ball, defended by DiJonai Carrington (21) of the Connecticut Sun during the third quarter in a game at Mohegan Sun Arena May 14, 2024, in Uncasville, Conn. (Elsa/Getty Images)
CAITLIN CLARK’S PRO DEBUT MOST-WATCHED WNBA GAME SINCE 2001
She led the Fever with 20 points. But she was 5 of 15 from the field and committed 10 of Indiana’s 25 turnovers.
“Not everything is going to be perfect. Again, this is only our second game,” Clark added Thursday. “We’ve got a young group, but as long as we’re learning and continuing to get better, that’s what is going to be positive for us.”
Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever smiles before a game against the Connecticut Sun May 14, 2024, at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. (Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Fever have a tough schedule this week. They traveled back from Connecticut with just one day of rest before the home opener.
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The Liberty are coming off a win against the Washington Mystics. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, and the game will be streamed nationally on Amazon Prime.
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Paulina Dedaj is a Sports Reporter for Fox News Digital.
