With a record-breaking rookie year under her belt, Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark returned to her old stomping ground on Sunday. The former Iowa star joined the Fever for a preseason friendly in Iowa City against the Brazilian national team.
After sitting out Indiana’s preseason game against the Washington Mystics on Saturday, Clark returned to the Fever’s starting lineup for her homecoming. Indiana looked completely dominant throughout the game, defeating Brazil 108-44.
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From the jump, it was like Clark had never left. After fielding a mob of autograph requests pregame, Clark hit one of her signature three-pointers to open the game.
Indiana continued to pile on points throughout the game, outscoring Brazil 70-24 in the first half and looking very unstoppable.
In the third quarter, Clark hit an outrageous three-pointer, causing the crowd to erupt. Clark took the shot just steps away from the logo that marks the spot on the court where she broke the NCAA scoring record last year.
Clark finished with 16 points, while the other two members of Indiana’s Big Three — Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston — played strong with somewhat limited minutes. Mitchell finished with a game-high 16 points, while Boston pitched in 11 points and seven rebounds. Natasha Howard, who signed with the Fever from Dallas during the offseason, added 10 points.
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The game was the second friendly for the Brazilian team, who lost 89-62 to the Chicago Sky on Friday. But the Fever’s win on Sunday seemed particularly dominant: Not even halfway through the fourth quarter, Indiana hit the 100-point mark. With the game well in hand, the Fever rotated through their bench, and let Clark and the other starters sit out the final quarter.
After a number of offseason changes — including a new coach in Stephanie White, and a number of veteran free agency acquisitions — the Fever look like they’ll be a tough team to beat this coming season.