Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) and Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3) speak at half courtroom throughout a free throw on June 30, 2024, at Footprint Heart in Phoenix. After practically a month off, famous person rookie guard Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever return to motion and proceed their pursuit of a spot within the WNBA playoffs after they host the Phoenix Mercury on Friday.
The Fever (11-15) misplaced to the Dallas Wings 101-93 of their ultimate sport earlier than the break for the Summer season Olympics. Indiana had gained its earlier two video games earlier than dropping to Dallas, topping the Mercury and the Minnesota Lynx.
Earlier than the break, Clark tallied 10 assists and 4 factors in her first WNBA All-Star sport, serving to the WNBA All-Stars prime the U.S. Olympic workforce. Two of her Fever teammates — Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston — have been additionally All-Stars. Mitchell scored 13 factors whereas Boston notched 4 factors.
Subsequent 12 months’s All-Star Recreation might be performed in Indianapolis, the place Clark and her teammates will seemingly take middle stage in entrance of their residence followers.
Nevertheless, that is a methods away. Proper now, the Fever are hoping that the latest Olympic break has rejuvenated them as they shoot for a playoff berth.
“I feel the Olympic break positively does assist for a workforce that hasn’t been collectively for a very long time, like us,” Fever guard Erica Wheeler mentioned. “To have the ability to get these practices and have the ability to get some actual runs in and actually hit it laborious and have days off I feel is tremendous essential.”
Added Fever ahead NaLyssa Smith: “It has been enormous for us. It is time to work on us. You get to work on the small issues, defensively, offensive rebounds.”
Clark is averaging 17.1 factors and a league-leading 8.2 assists whereas taking pictures 32.7 % from 3-point vary. The Olympic break supplied a breather for Clark, who performed in her ultimate faculty sport on April 7 after which made her preseason WNBA debut on Could 3. Primarily, the rookie has been taking part in practically continuous since final November.
Talking of breaks, the three Olympians on the Mercury did not get a lot of 1. Diana Taurasi, Kahleah Copper and Brittney Griner might be taking part in of their second sport since coming back from France with Crew USA’s eighth consecutive gold medal. Behind 29 factors from Copper, the Mercury (14-12) beat the host Chicago Sky 85-65 on Thursday of their return to WNBA motion.
“The thrilling factor for us and her is that we have been getting her in her prime,” first-year Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts mentioned of Copper.
Copper, who performed essential minutes within the fourth quarter and hit the game-winning free throws in Crew USA’s gold medal win over France, ranks second within the WNBA in scoring this season with a mean of 23.4 factors per sport.
“That is what Kah does,” Taurasi mentioned of Copper. “She’s competed all 12 months for us and we knew when issues get tight, she’s at all times the alternative. She will be able to do issues that nobody else can do on our workforce — nationwide workforce or right here on the Mercury.”
–Discipline Stage Media
