Caitlin Clark struck back.
The WNBA phenom became the first player in league history with at least 40 points and 10 assists, and just the 10th player in WNBA history with a 45-point game, on Friday night against the Seattle Storm.
She did it all against the backdrop of an ongoing national controversy over her treatment from the league and other players, which has reached a fever pitch in recent days.
CAITLIN CLARK HELPS WNBA HIT HISTORIC LATE-NIGHT CABLE NUMBER DESPITE LIMITED RETURN IN LA
Through it all, Clark went out on Friday and had her best game as a pro with 45 points, 10 assists, and four steals. Her final steal of the game all but clinched the victory as she snuck the ball out of the hands of Seattle’s Flau’Jae Johnson with less than a minute left.
It was also the highest scoring game by a WNBA point guard or any Indiana Fever player ever.
In an on-court interview with ION right after the game concluded, Clark said she “doesn’t really care” about the history she made, and said the way her team played defense was “embarrassing,” as Indiana won 110-107.
Clark told reporters that she refused to come out of the game late despite being on a minutes restriction as she is recovering from a back injury.
“I told Steph at halftime, like, I felt really good and I didn’t want to lose this game,” Clark said.
“There’s no way I was ever coming out of the game in the fourth quarter. It didn’t matter. I would play with one leg,” Clark added.
Clark also reflected on overcoming struggles.
“I know all the time and the work that I put in, and people believe in me. And more than anything, I believe in myself,” she said. “And you just got to dig your feet in a little bit. When it’s not going your way, nobody cares. Find a way to make it better and find a way to help your team win and make this team better.”
The WNBA has faced feverish tension in recent weeks after Clark was punched in the throat by Phoenix Mercury star Alyssa Thomas during a game in June, sparking weeks-long discourse in the media and online that often invokes race and sexuality in discussions about how Clark has been treated by referees, fans, other players and the media.
CAITLIN CLARK FINALLY BREAKS HER WEEK-LONG SILENCE AFTER BEING PUNCHED IN THE THROAT BY ALYSSA THOMAS
Clark later publicly stated in her first media scrum since the punch that the WNBA needs to do better at protecting its players, admitting that Thomas’ punch was a clear flagrant foul and criticizing the overall state of the league’s officiating.
The controversy spilled into politics when a group of 11 Republican lawmakers wrote a letter to WNBA leadership demanding accountability and better protection for Clark against repeated physical attacks.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert then bailed on an interview on the Dan Patrick Show, sparking a further public relations crisis for the league after Patrick publicized her cancelling of the interview and criticized her on his show for skipping it amid ongoing questions over Clark.
Clark then reignited the controversy herself when she was seen yelling in the face of a referee during a loss to Golden State on Wednesday night, after the referee did not call a foul on a play that Clark claimed caused her to suffer a contusion on her leg.
Clark had been working her way back to full strength after suffering a back injury in the same game where she suffered the punch to the throat, and had been on a strict minutes restriction for her first three games back. But she appeared to be all the way back on Friday with her historic performance, despite also playing limited minutes, as she played less than 30 minutes.
At 15-10, the Fever are now tied with the Atlanta Dream for first place in the Eastern Conference, and will face the third-place New York Liberty at home on Saturday.
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