Inside Caitlin Clark’s New York Debut, Where a Blowout Felt Like a Celebration
Sometimes, when all the stars line up to produce a play, game, or season that is not just appointment viewing but would be genuinely sad to miss, watching sports feels like a real moment.
That was the atmosphere surrounding Caitlin Clark’s first game in New York on Saturday afternoon as fans filed into the Barclays Center. It was, in fact, her very first game ever in New York. AAU, high school, nothing—Clark talked about her lack of experience in New York City before the game. This is enjoyable! This venue is incredible.
It’s been about six months since Caitlin Clark became a transcendent figure. Not only has she been hoops great over this time, but women’s basketball has gained more prominence in society overall.
That meant that on Saturday, if you were a basketball fan and happened to be in one of the five boroughs, you had to be there. The athletic community turned out in full force, with pioneering tennis player Billie Jean King, Sue Bird, and Megan Rapinoe seated courtside.
The entertainment industry was also well-represented, with actors Amy Ryan and Hoda Kotb, as well as Jason Sudeikis, deciding they had to witness this firsthand.
In the end, the black-and-seafoam championship candidates greatly outmatched Clark and her Indiana Fever teammates. Even though the New York Liberty outplayed them throughout the game, winning 91-80, Clark and the Saturday afternoon audience continued to up the intensity inside the arena.
Caitlin Mania was evident from the start, starting with Clark’s opening warm-up shot and continuing through her seemingly endless string of three-pointers that launched her into the Barclays Center netting on her route to 22 points. In any building, especially one in New York, it takes a certain kind of juice for a visiting player to be the center of attention.
However, ever since her sophomore year at Iowa, Clark has been the center of attention in every gym where she has played. Being the focus of attention is nothing new for 22, even though she acknowledged that the WNBA is a significant step up in terms of difficulty.
Clark remains a rock star while being far from her Midwest origins. The Iowa Hawkeye and Indiana Fever versions of Clark’s jerseys were everywhere at Barclays Center, and a surprisingly sizable crowd of supporters gathered on the pregame sideline merely to watch the 22-year-old stretch.
After she finished, a throng of young and old people swarmed Clark, demanding selfies and autographs. It was only her third WNBA game, as well, on Saturday in the afternoon. Clark doesn’t back down from the limelight, even if she’s still learning the ropes and doing so on a team that finished 13–27 the previous season.
After all, you don’t become well-known as a college student by escaping the grind. “To be honest, it’s been enjoyable,” Clark remarked to the large gathering of reporters, the majority of whom had come especially to see her. This is what you agreed to do. The greatest of the best is this.
Did you see that Clark finished her first New York romp with 22 points, eight assists, and many rebounds despite the unappealing scoreboard? highlights. This, of course, came after she had a terrible showing in her opening two games, misfiring ten times in her debut and scoring just nine points in her second outing.
The first year can be difficult, as it has been for almost every No. 1 choice in sports history. Not only are they adjusting to the professional game, but they are usually doing so for a bottom-dweller.
Of course, the Fever’s status as the weakest team in the league the previous season merely allowed them to select Clark in the draft. As a youthful team, Clark stated, “It’s important to extend a little leniency to each and every one of us.”
But eventually, this club will be able to compete with teams of the Liberty’s caliber and things won’t always be difficult for them.
Less than three minutes into the second half, The Liberty, incidentally, had all of their starters scoring in double figures. This group poses an issue.)
Even her opponents are beginning to show some respect for Clark, whose mere presence made a wire-to-wire blowout about as entertaining as it gets.
She extended her tongue lightly and said, “I think the way teams are guarding me—if you go back and watch the footage, I’m well away from the action and I’m still getting face guarded.” “That will present opportunities for my team.” This regard persisted during the altercation with the Liberty on Saturday.
Starting from the first tip, the finest defender on the Libs, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, twice won a spot on a WNBA All-Defensive Team, defended Clark. There was also a certain awe for Clark among the Brooklyn crowd.
Every time she crossed halfcourt, there were audible cries of encouragement for her to shoot, and when the ball missed, there were audible gasps of disappointment.
Despite her early setbacks, Clark is in a positive frame of mind. She still has a few mountains to climb on her maiden WNBA tour, as the Fever travel to the desert at the end of the month for Clark’s first game against the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces.
