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NEW YORK — Caitlin Clark had just one basket and three points in the worst game of her young pro career, and the New York Liberty routed the Indiana Fever 104-68 in front of 17,401 fans at Barclays Center on Sunday night.
Clark shot 1-for-10 from the field. It was the lowest point total and field goal rate (10%) in a game during both her time in the WNBA (11 games) and college (139 games at Iowa).
“I think collectively, as a team, we understand who kind of the head of the monster is on that team, and we are trying to just make everything tough and difficult,” Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu said of Clark. “Obviously, they came off a back-to-back, so it’s a little bit tough for them, as well. But she’ll figure it out. It’s not that big of a deal to have a game like that.”
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton scored 20 points, and Jonquel Jones added 18 for the Liberty, who were nearing the end of the easy win when Clark left the game. Clark, the No. 1 pick in April’s draft, played the first few minutes of the fourth quarter before exiting, holding her ear for a bit as she left the court. She was hurt while getting bumped on a screen.
Clark was fine afterward.
The Fever had another scary moment a few minutes later when Aliyah Boston went down awkwardly with an ankle injury after she was fouled. She gingerly walked off the court and back to the locker room.
Indiana coach Christie Sides didn’t have an update on the extent of Boston’s injury, but last season’s Rookie of the Year seemed to be OK while walking around in front of the locker room.
Indiana was playing the second game of a back-to-back set. The Fever (2-9) beat the Chicago Sky on Saturday by one point.
The Fever have had a brutal stretch to the start the season, with 11 games in the first 20 days, including playing New York three times now.
“Their legs were shot. I mean, that’s where everything stems from, your legs, when you shoot the basketball — especially for 3s,” Sides said. “They’re shot, they’re gassed, so everything was a little short.”
The Liberty took advantage of the tired Fever, racing out to a 31-13 lead after one quarter. Laney-Hamilton and Breanna Stewart each had seven points in the opening 10 minutes as New York pushed the pace.
Clark was scoreless in the first quarter before starting off the second quarter with a logo 3-pointer. She was constantly hounded defensively by Laney-Hamilton and Kayla Thornton.
Clark did finish with five assists, and she has now led or co-led the Fever in assists in all 11 games this season, extending the second-longest such streak to start a career in WNBA history (Ticha Penicheiro, 26).
New York led 55-37 at the break. Indiana got within 12 early in the third quarter before the Liberty blew open the game.
Kelsey Mitchell scored 21 points to lead Indiana.
Information from ESPN Stats & Information and The Associated Press was used in this report.
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