Saturday's Sky-Fever opening game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse certainly didn't disappoint and one player in particular is a huge reason why. The Fever walked away with a 93-58 win over the Chicago Sky in a matchup that included some on-court drama and a triple-double for star guard Caitlin Clark, as well as a double-double for Aliyah Boston.
The Fever got off to a shaky start and even trailed in the game early, but things began to fall into place for the team ahead of the third quarter.
That was when a third-quarter moment took place that set the arena and both benches on fire. Clark was hit with a flagrant foul on Angel Reese as she was driving in the paint. Reese, cleary offended by the foul, quickly popped up and got in Clark's face. Clark walked straight back to the bench and let her on-court performance do the talking for her (she and Boston proceeded ahead with double-doubles soon after). It was clear that Clark's stats picked up quickly after being given the flagrant.
Fans could sense a triple-double was coming for Clark after a strong third quarter performance, and the big moment came late in the fourth quarter. Clark was seen approaching the bench towards head coach Stephanie White and appeared to ask her to get back in the game. At that point, she was one rebound away and she pulled it down on the defensive end of the floor at the 2:26 mark, making the third triple-double of her career. Gainbridge Fieldhouse, full of Indiana Pacers players, blew the roof off the building.
Clark's growing game led to early triple-double
Clark finished the game with 20 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists. If this game was any indication of how the rest of the year will go, the entire league was just put on notice and should be fully aware of the Fever's arsenal. Clark's composure after receiving the flagrant showed her maturation over the off-season and how she can keep her focus on leading the team to a massive victory. She polished her skills, not just from three-point range. Clark was aggressive under the basket and had smooth passes to her teammates. One play that stood out to viewers was Reese going up for a rebound and Clark snatching the ball from her after Reese two failed rebound attempts.
Last season she had two triple-doubles as a rookie. Her achievement in game one stapled her into third on the most all-time list. Chemistry will continue to grow between Clark and her teammates. There were some minor hiccups on both ends of the floor for the Fever, but time spent together in live game situations vs in practice are very different. Fans should be optimistic after Clark's performance. They passed the first major test playing on the big stage in front of millions of viewers and this season will have a lot more of it in store for this exciting Fever team.