Caitlin Clark’s home debut for Fever spoiled by MVP performance from Liberty’s Breanna Stewart

Caitlin Clark’s home debut in Indianapolis was spoiled by reigning MVP Breanna Stewart, who had 31 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks to lead the New York Liberty to a victory of 102-66 against the Indiana Fever. in front of a sold-out crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Clark, who finished with nine points, seven rebounds and six assists in a strong outing, has rewards in his future, but Thursday night’s game was another early reminder that these are things that will likely come more late.

An early bucket from Clark got the crowd back on its feet, but they didn’t do much after that. While the Liberty weren’t as aggressive or physical as the Connecticut Sun — neither team is, to be honest — Betnijah Laney-Hamilton hounded Clark on the perimeter and they sent several defenders at her.

“Shout out to (Laney-Hamilton), shout out to (Kayla Thornton), really all of our guards that lined up against her,” Stewart said. “They made it really difficult for her tonight. We knew where she was and we followed the game plan.”

Clark had two turnovers in the first five possessions, but she calmed down after that and dished out a number of assists in the first quarter. Her play would become a theme of the evening, as she made a number of nifty passes and was a bit unlucky to finish with just six assists.

The problem for the Fever was that even a few bad minutes can be the death knell for a group as talented as the Liberty. Stewart, who herself played poorly in Liberty’s opener two nights earlier, was on a mission. She scored or assisted on her team’s first 11 points. By the end of the first, they had almost as many points (11) as the Fever as a team (16), and the Liberty was nine points ahead.

Neither Stewart nor her teammates ever looked back. The final score was a reflection of the game, and the only reason it didn’t turn into laughter sooner is because the Liberty lacked wide-open looks. However, they were able to rebound a number of those bricks and had no trouble scoring in the paint, where they shot 24 of 38, more makes than the Fever overall. Stewart led the charge, with 18 of his 31 points coming around the basket.

The Fever’s porous defense was a major problem last season, when they allowed 106.3 points per 100 possessions and finished 11th in defensive rating. While their schedule hasn’t helped things to start this campaign, they have once again struggled on that side of the ball.

Their inability to get saves must be taken into account when discussing Clark’s lackluster start to his professional career. She is at her best in transition, where she revels in open space as a playmaker and scorer. Her outlet pass is arguably her best singular skill, and her ability to go deep gives defenders little chance when she has her head full.

Those opportunities haven’t materialized often enough for the Fever, who have scored just 16 points in two games – last in the league. Given the time and the score, it was no surprise that Thursday’s best stretch for both Clark and the team came late in the third when they were able to string together a few stops and briefly reduce the lead. deficit at 11.

Here is a perfect example. Leonie Fiebich missed a 3-pointer and four seconds later was forced to foul Clark, who was off to the races after receiving an outlet pass from NaLyssa Smith.

“We have to stop,” Fever head coach Christie Sides said. “We have to find a way, they have to have a little more pride and we have to make stops so we can do what we are really good at.”

The loss drops the Fever, who received absolutely no help from the schedulers, to 0-2. Things will eventually get easier for Clark and Co., but not anytime soon.

They have already faced two title contenders and will have to face them again in their next two matches. In fact, nine of their first 13 games are against the Liberty, Sun, Seattle Storm and the defending champion Las Vegas Aces – widely considered the four best teams in the league.