Looks like the fire’s been put out in Indiana.
Caitlin Clark delivered another historic performance Thursday night, helping lead the Indiana Fever to an 83-71 victory over Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream while tying a WNBA record she already held herself.
With 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists, Clark became the fastest player in league history to reach 150+ points and 50+ assists in a season.
The player CC tied? Herself, matching the ridiculous pace she established last year.
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The milestone came just days after Clark and Fever head coach Stephanie White became the talk of the WNBA following a heated exchange during Indiana’s loss to the Portland Fire.
White drew heavy backlash for sitting Clark down in a game where the star guard was largely ineffective, and the optics of benching the face of the league sparked so much backlash that some fans even began calling for the coach’s job.
Before taking the court Thursday, Clark sought to quiet the noise.
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“Personally, I’m doing great. I don’t really read that stuff. I know everybody can have an opinion and people make me aware. … But I’m not sitting on Twitter or social media reading those things,” Clark said ahead of tip-off.
Still, the noise from that bad Portland loss loomed large as the Fever took the floor at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to face longtime nemesis Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream.
That tension briefly resurfaced when fans on social media grew frustrated with White after she failed to challenge a questionable foul call on Clark.
But when it mattered most, Clark sent a clear message.
While the Fever were putting together a 16-3 run to build a 58-46 lead, Clark rushed over to White and gave her an emphatic chest bump, a public show that things appear just fine between player and coach.
That second-half surge helped propel Indiana to an 83-71 win over Atlanta. Clark benefited from dominant performances by teammates Kelsey Mitchell (25 points) and Aliyah Boston (19 points).
On the other side, despite shooting a paltry 4-of-9 from the field, Angel Reese still managed to secure a double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. With the victory, Clark improved her career WNBA record to 5-1 against Reese.
The moment with Clark during a historic bounce-back performance was about as good an outcome as Stephanie White could have hoped for in quieting critics. However, the pressure hasn’t evaporated entirely.
OUTKICK IS NOW ON THE FOX APP: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD
The win brings the Fever to a modest 5-4 through 9 games, leaving some to still wonder if White’s schemes are maximizing the full potential of Indiana’s loaded roster.
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