Caitlin Clark is confident she’ll return stronger next season after the Connecticut Sun defeated the Indiana Fever 87-81, ending her hopes of capturing a WNBA Championship title in her rookie year.
The 22-year-old, who was the top overall pick in the 2023 draft from the University of Iowa, set several regular-season records, including assists (337), rookie points (769), and three-pointers made by a rookie (122) during her debut season.
Clark posted 25 points and nine assists, playing every minute of game two in the first-round playoff series. Despite her efforts, she couldn’t prevent the Sun from clinching the best-of-three series 2-0.
The Sun will now face the Minnesota Lynx in the playoff semi-finals, while Clark heads into the off-season.
“The exciting part is, I feel like I’m just scratching the surface,” Clark said. “I nit-pick every little thing I do, and I know I can help this franchise improve, help my teammates get better, and there’s plenty of room for me to grow.”
“I believe I can get a lot better, and before we know it, we’ll be back here, ready for next year.”
The Fever, needing a win in Connecticut to keep the series alive, came back from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter to tie the game with just over two minutes remaining. But the Sun, led by Alyssa Thomas with 19 points and 13 assists, regained the lead in the final moments to advance to the semi-finals.
Clark is determined to improve after Indiana’s playoff defeat.
