Fever Fall to Wings 107-104 as Clark Struggles in WNBA Return

Caitlin Clark returned to the WNBA court Saturday afternoon with the Indiana Fever, but the game did not go as planned.

The Fever lost to the Dallas Wings 107-104 after Clark struggled in her first outing since a season-ending injury last year. With under 10 seconds left, Clark missed a shot. It marked her seventh three-point miss of the day, and she had gone 1-for-5 from the field in the fourth quarter.

The Fever got one more possession after Paige Bueckers missed two free throws. The play called for Kelsey Mitchell, who missed a long shot that could have forced overtime. Mitchell led all scorers with 30 points.

Clark finished with 20 points on 7-of-18 shooting, including 2-for-9 from three. She added seven assists and five rebounds.

Clark hit a milestone with her 1,000th career point in just her 54th game. She became one of eight players in WNBA history to reach that total so quickly.

Injuries limited Clark to 13 games last season. A groin injury kept her out from July 15 onward.

The matchup pitted the last three No. 1 draft picks against each other: Clark for the Fever, and Bueckers and Azzi Fudd for the Wings.

The Fever reached the playoffs last year and advanced to the semifinals. They fell to the Las Vegas Aces, who went on to win their third title in four years.