Caitlin Clark's Reaction to 'Massive' Liberty Lineup Makes Sense
While it was awesome to see the Indiana Fever face off against the New York Liberty on April 25, the fact that it was a preseason game meant that excitement was tempered a bit.
Especially because neither team played with their full complement of players. For the Fever, Aliyah Boston, Lexie Hull, Ty Harris, and Damiris Dantas didn't compete. And the Liberty had seven players missing from the action, with the most notable being new addition Satou Sabally and standout forward Leonie Fiebich.
Boston and Dantas not playing for the Fever was a tough blow on the defensive end, given that they're the only two centers on the roster. And this blow becomes even worse when one considers a lineup that the Liberty can put on the court.
Breanna Stewart is technically a power forward. But the fact that she's 6'4" means she's capable of playing center, especially since she has a 7'1" wingspan. But Stewart doesn't need to play center because New York also has Jonquel Jones, who is 6'6".
Then there's Chinese center Han Xu, who, at 6'11", is the second-tallest player in WNBA history. The Fever had no answer for Xu on Saturday, as she finished with 20 points in 22 minutes played.
A photo of Xu standing alongside Fever superstar guard Caitlin Clark got a lot of attention on social media, given the extraordinary size different between them.
han xu made caitlin look 12 years old 😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/GacwF5xYCz
— winn (@logothreeslut) April 26, 2026
Caitlin Clark's Comment on 'Massive' Liberty Lineup
The prospect of Stewart, Jones, and Xu on the court at the same time has not escaped the rest of the league's attention. The same can be said for Caitlin Clark, according to something Jonquel Jones said when speaking to the media after the game.
“It was funny, because me and Caitlin were checking in at the same time and she was like, she was like, ‘Man, that big lineup for you guys is massive!'" Jones said, per an X post from @clarkmode_.
She then added, "I was like, ‘Yeah, man.’ Once we get more comfortable with it, I think it can be really good for us. So I'm excited to be out there with them. Two really talented, really special players."
📲| JJ postgame comments:
— m!ch | cc mvp ⟢ (@clarkmode_) April 26, 2026
“It was funny because me and Caitlin were checking in at the same time and she was like, ‘Man, that big lineup for you guys is massive.’ — I was like, ‘Yeah, man.’” pic.twitter.com/RWKvIZQCg6
Even with Aliyah Boston, the Fever would be outmatched in terms of height with these three Liberty players on the court together. Not to mention that Sabally and Fiebich are also tall players, while Sabrina Ionescu could be seen as an above-average-sized point guard.
If the Liberty can find cohesion with this tall lineup, the rest of the league better watch out.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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