Caitlin Clark Cites 'Tenacity' in Steal-Centric Fever Game vs Paige Bueckers, Wings
While Indiana Fever star guard Caitlin Clark has still not fully found her shooting stroke, she and her team did more than enough to produce an emphatic 102-83 victory over the Dallas Wings on July 13.
Clark finished the game with 14 points and 13 assists. However, it was her 5 steals (which ties her personal WNBA record to this point in her career) that stood out the most for many, especially because No. 22 isn't typically known for her defensive aptitude.
The first of these steals came about two minutes into the contest, when Clark read Wings star rookie Paige Bueckers' eyes and picked a ball off in a passing line, which led to an easy layup for her on the other end.
Caitlin Clark picks it off and lays it in 💨 pic.twitter.com/YeyjyRpwHd
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) July 13, 2025
Clark was asked about this steal specifically after the game and sent a strong message.
"Well, I knew my team was trapping on the sideline, so kind of just made a read. I saw [Bueckers] was going to throw it to her post player, and was able to get my hand on it. Then got a few deflections out of guard-to-guard switches," Clark said, per a video from the Fever's YouTube account.
"I can be a really good defender when I choose to, and when I work really hard on it, and not conserve energy," Clark added with a smile. "So proud of myself in that regard. And I think that probably motivates our offense. Like, when I bring a tenacity on the defensive end, it really helps our offense go."
Clark will look to bring this same defensive tenacity during Indiana's next game, which comes against the Connecticut Sun on July 15.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the Indiana Fever 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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