Caitlin Clark Hits Pair of Deep Threes Late vs. Sparks to Nab First WNBA Win

The Fever rookie shook off a slow start to the night from beyond the arc in epic fashion to earn her first victory as a pro.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark shoots over Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink during a game.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark shoots over Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink during a game. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Caitlin Clark earned the first victory of her burgeoning WNBA career Friday night—and did so in a fashion befitting a sharpshooter of her prowess.

The Indiana Fever rookie drained a pair of deep three-pointers late in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Sparks to help lift her team to a 78–73 win. The victory marked the Fever's first of the 2024 season, as the group improved to 1–5 on the year.

Clark struggled to find her shot for much of the first three quarters of the game, beginning 0-for-7 from beyond the arc. However, she was able to make an impact both on the glass and setting up her teammates to help Indiana pull back from an 11-point deficit.

Then late in the fourth quarter, with the game hanging in the balance, Clark returned to her vintage self. She began with a sidestep three-pointer from the deep left wing to extend her team's lead out to six points with just under 2:30 remaining.

But that wasn't the last big shot from the 2024 No. 1 pick. A few minutes later, with the Fever leading by just 2, Clark drained a diabolical stepback three, delivering the final dagger to the Sparks.

Even with the tepid start shooting the ball, Clark finished with 11 points on 4-of-14 shooting and 2-of-9 from beyond the arc. She also racked up 10 rebounds and eight assists.

Clark was far from Indiana's only contributor of the night as three of her teammates also finished in double figures. Aliyah Boston had the best game of her sophomore professional season, scoring 17 points, while Kelsey Mitchell and Temi Fagbenle tallied 18 points and 17 points, respectively.

With her first WNBA win now in the rearview mirror, Clark will set her sights on stringing a few victories together as the Fever return to action on Saturday against the defending champion Las Vegas Aces.


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Zach Koons

ZACH KOONS

Zach Koons is a programming editor at Sports Illustrated who also specializes in Formula One news and analysis. He started as a breaking news writer at SI before joining the programming team in 2023. Also a contributor to NBA and college sports coverage, Zach previously wrote for The Spun and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and currently hosts the Bleav in Northwestern podcast. Zach is a 2022 graduate of Northwestern University and lives in New York City.