Caitlin Clark makes triumphant return to Iowa and, of course, nails a logo 3
Caitlin Clark makes triumphant return to Iowa and, of course, nails a logo 3
Caitlin Clark made the shot that everyone saw.
Clark stopped at the end of the third quarter of the WNBA pre-season game on Sunday between the Indiana Fever and the Brazilian national team and started a 3 pointer near the “22” logo at the Care Hawkeye Arena Court in Iowa. It was the place where she met the shot in her senior season in 2024, which made her an all -round top scorer in the NCAA women’s basketball, and of course it was received.
This shot with 25 seconds in the third quarter brought Clark’s return to the arena, where she broke records on the way to the NCAA-Division I All-Time goalkeeper.
Clark started her second season with the fever and scored 16 points in the 108-44 win of Indiana.
Clark’s day was booked by shots, who remembered her career in Iowa’s women’s basketball team.
And after both shots had occurred, the audience reaction sounded just like all the shots that she had made before sold out crowds when she led the Hawkeyes to successive appearances in the NCAA National Championship Game in her last two seasons.
Clark, who dealt with a leg injury that she held out against the Washington Mystics on Saturday, played almost 19 minutes, and that was enough to please the capacity of 15,400. She ended the game and made 6 out of 10 shots and added six rebounds and five templates.
It was Clark’s second game in the arena, since she left Hawkeyes, she had retired her jersey No. 22 in a ceremony after Iowa’s 76: 69 victory against USC on February 2.
“I told my teammate that they would be here to cheer me, yes, but they will also be here to cheer them and our entire team,” said Clark before the game. “And I think that’s what is so great about these fans is that they really gather around the entire team. It is not just myself, and I love it.”
Clark was greeted with loud ovation when she took the place before the game and the noise continued all day. The crowd noise for Clark’s introduction to Pregame achieved 116 decibels, and the first 3 pointer was recorded 117 decibels applause.
This type of answer was no surprise for the fever trainer Stephanie White.
“I saw how the Caitlin Clark stuff looked in from the outside and was on the television side and was certainly an opponent,” said White, who called some of Clark’s games during his work at ESPN and went against her last season as coach of Connecticut Sun. “So that we can bring Caitlin back and bring our team here to experience this fan base, it is an incredible opportunity.”
Iowa coach Jan Jensen had the same reaction.
“We are only proud that we can fill this place in May,” she said. “Are you kidding me?”
The event became a hot ticket as soon as it was announced at the beginning of this year. The average paid price of $ 440 per ticket on the secondary market this week made it the most sought-after event that analyzes sales on the secondary market, according to Victory Live from Ticketing Technology Company Victory. The prices on the secondary market on Wednesday were between 146 and 2,368 US dollars.
Clark made it clear before the game that she would play despite the injury, although it was visible that the injury was still a problem – when she came out of the game in the first half, she went into the tunnel behind the fever bench to ride a stationary bike.
“It dropped on the sidelines yesterday, but of course it’s probably only the best decision in the previous season,” said Clark.
Kelsey Mitchell led the fever with 17 points. Aliyah Boston added 11.
Clark left the game after making this last shot and when she came to the bench, she waved the crowd and encouraged one last cheer.
“That is my goal,” said Clark before the game. “Let them include, make them loud.”
Reporting by the Associated Press.
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