Caitlin Clark makes WNBA debut: Recap, highlights as Arike Ogunbowale, Wings edge Fever

It was a sterling WNBA debut for Caitlin Clark , but in the end, it was Arike Ogunbowale’s night.

The sixth-year WNBA guard hit a crossover, step-back 3 with three seconds to go — Clark’s signature move for years at Iowa — to give Dallas a three-point lead, and Clark’s three at the buzzer fell short, giving the Wings the 79-76 win over the Indiana Fever in the preseason opener for each team.

Ogunbowale has a history of big-time shot making: She hit game-winning, buzzer-beating 3s in back-to-back games at the 2018 Final Four to lead Notre Dame to the NCAA championship.

Ogunbowale finished Friday night's contest with 19 points. The game-winner was her only made 3-pointer of the night.

It was maybe the most anticipated preseason game in the 28-year history of the WNBA, with people all over tuning into see what Clark would do at the next level. Early on, she put on a show.

Clark scored 21 points in her first-ever pro game, including 16 in the first half. Clark finished with a solid stat line with three rebounds, two assists and two steals, but there’s no question she’ll be kicking herself about her five turnovers.

Jaelyn Brown , a 2020 Cal grad who went undrafted and has spent the last few years playing overseas, led the Wings with 21 points on 7-of-15 shooting. For the Fever, NaLyssa Smith scored 20, and Erica Wheeler chipped in 16.

'You couldn’t ask for a better game': Caitlin Clark revels in her WNBA debut

Caitlin Clark has been anticipating Friday night for a long, long time.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft put on a show in her WNBA debut, scoring 21 points, 15 of which came from her signature long 3s. The fans loved it — and they were ready for it. College Park Center, which holds just over 6,500 and is located on the campus of UT-Arlington, sold out for the game – unusual for a preseason contest. Tons of fans were in Clark jerseys and t-shirts, sporting both Fever and Iowa gear. And Clark loved it.

Asked what she would remember most from her debut, Clark didn’t hesitate.

“The atmosphere,” Clark said. “I remember my first game in college really well, too … this is a big milestone for me, I’ve always dreamed of playing in the WNBA.”

The frenzy around women’s hoops right now is unmatched, Clark said. Besides the Dallas-Indiana game Friday night, the Chicago Sky, featuring two first-round draft picks, was also in action, playing a preseason game at the Minnesota Lynx . That game wasn’t available on WNBA League Pass, though a fan attending in Minneapolis live streamed the game on their Twitter account, drawing more than 170,000 viewers.

In Dallas, fans were treated to a terrific back-and-forth contest that went down to the wire.

“You couldn’t ask for a better game, really, for women’s basketball,” Clark said.

Fever head coach:  Christie Sides says Indiana is still ‘learning’ Clark

Despite Caitlin Clark’s 21 points in her WNBA debut, the Indiana Fever dropped their first preseason game of the season against the Dallas Wings on Friday. Head coach Christie Sides, however, looks at the loss as experience for her team.

“It’s just a learning process,” Sides said. “Learning (Clark) and learning the rest of our team. And finding out who’s playing well and which rotation.”

Sides acknowledged that Clark was “gassed” at one point of the game, so much so that she called for a sub. Sides said “we can’t let her get to that point” and have to “do what we can to protect her” so she’s “able to go in the fourth.” (Clark had five fourth-quarter points.)

“We’re just five days in with a point guard with Caitlin (Clark),” Sides said. “We’re able to put some really good players around her that she doesn’t have to work as hard." — Cydney Henderson

Caitlin Clark highlights from WNBA debut

Minnesota Lynx prevail as Angel Reese makes Chicago Sky debut

In the WNBA's other preseason game Friday night , the Minnesota Lynx pulled away from the Chicago Sky 92-81.

The game marked the professional debuts of Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso for the Sky, and Reese nearly had a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds, while Cardoso had six points and four rebounds.

But it was the Lynx veterans that stole the show. Napheesa Collier and Courtney Williams scored 17 points apiece for Minnesota, and Bridget Carleton added 12.

Lindsay Allen led Chicago with 17 points. — Ellen J. Horrow

How many points did Caitlin Clark have today?

Caitlin Clark scored 21 points in her WNBA debut with the Indiana Fever, but the Dallas Wings prevailed 79-76 in the preseason opener for both teams.

Clark shot 6-for-15 from the field, including 5-of-13 on 3-pointers. She also tallied three rebounds, two assists and two steals but also recorded a team-high five turnovers.

See below for a full recap of the game.

Final: Dallas Wings 79, Indiana Fever 76

Arike Ogunbowale hit a crossover, step-back 3 with three seconds to go to give Dallas a 79-76 lead, and Caitlin Clark missed a tough game-tying shot from the corner at the buzzer as the Wings edged the Indiana Fever in the preseason openers for each team.

Caitlin Clark effect: NBA playoffs take backseat to Fever-Wings preseason match on X

All eyes are on Caitlin Clark’s WNBA debut.

The Indiana Fever’s preseason matchup against the Dallas Wings coincides with the first-round NBA playoff game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic, but the NBA’s official X account is still filled with Clark highlights. Prior to this landmark season, where the likes of Clark, Cameron Brink, Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese were drafted into the league in front of a record 2.45 million viewers , the WNBA preseason hardly got any fanfare. The same can’t be said about this year as the interest in Clark and the women’s game continues to soar.

“I’m literally watching a WNBA preseason game over the NBA playoffs,” X user @StockTalks21 posted . “If that doesn’t tell you the impact Caitlin Clark is having on women’s basketball."

Jaelyn Brown shining for Wings; Fever lead 62-60 after three quarters

The WNBA, with just 144 roster spots across the country, is widely considered the toughest league in the world to make.

Realistically, because of salary caps, many teams only carry 11 players instead of 12. Just a few weeks ago, the W held its draft where 36 players were selected. Most of those players won’t make a final roster.

We always think it’s because of established veterans who have been in the W forever, but in truth, those roster spots can also be gobbled up by players who have been out of college a couple years. Jaelyn Brown is a great example of that.

Brown, who has 19 points through three quarters and has helped Dallas pull within two, 62-60, wasn’t drafted out of Cal following her senior season, 2019-20. So she went overseas and honed her craft, and now she’s fighting for a roster spot with the Wings. (WNBA teams must trim their rosters to 12 or less by May 13.)

We won’t know for awhile if Brown will make the final cut or keep up this type of play. But one thing’s for sure: this league just got harder to make.

Wings ramp up defense on Clark in third quarter

I think I’ve figured out what the Dallas Wings’ halftime song was: Physical, by Olivia Newton John.

I’m kidding — kind of. But it’s clear the message in the locker room was to get up in Caitlin Clark’s personal bubble. Clark has only got one shot off midway through the third and has been hit hard a few times on screens, too. She also picked up two quick fouls, and had to head to the bench with just under five minutes to play. She’s still sitting at 16 points.

Halftime: Indiana Fever 48, Dallas Wings 40

Caitlin Clark might only have one assist so far — a very low number for her — but Indiana’s 13-3 edge in fast break points is directly related to Clark. She’s pushing in transition and putting the ball in the right places — including through the net on more than one occasion.

At halftime, with Indiana leading 48-40, Clark leads all scorers with 16 on 4-of-8 shooting. Teammate NaLyssa Smith has 10, Erica Wheeler nine and Aliyah Boston six.

Meanwhile, Jaelyn Brown is putting on a show for Dallas, scoring 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting. Arike Ogunbowale has chipped in eight and rookie Jacy Sheldon, the No. 5 overall pick out of Ohio State, has six for the Wings.

A 9-0 Indiana run late in the second quarter elped the Fever take the lead back. Indiana has also scored 13 points off seven Dallas turnovers.

Caitlin Clark hits 3 over one of WNBA's best defenders

Back in January, former Iowa All-American Megan Gustafson told me that WNBA veterans would be excited to make Caitlin Clark look bad because she’s coming into the league with so much hype.

So far, that’s not exactly how it’s going. Clark just hit one of her signature step-back 3s over Natasha Howard, a lanky 6-foot-2 veteran who was the 2019 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. Clark might be good going to her left, but that was a very tough shot against a very experienced defender. Wow.

First quarter: Dallas Wings 26, Indiana Fever 23

It’s debatable if the WNBA is going to be able to rise to this moment — but it certainly seems that Caitlin Clark is ready to.

At the end of the first quarter, with Dallas leading 26-23, Clark already has 11 points on 3-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc. At least through the first period, she doesn’t look like a rookie so much as a seasoned veteran.

Meanwhile, Dallas guard Jaelyn Brown, a 2020 graduate from Cal, has scored eight early points for the Wings, while Arike Ogunbowale has hit some crazy shots (what else is new?) to score six quick points. The Wings ended the quarter on a 23-9 run.

Clark helps Fever jump out to early lead

Behind two made 3-pointers from Clark, the Fever have jumped out a 14-3 lead with 6:23 to play. Clark is 2-for-2 from distance and has already threaded some nice passes through transition. Five Fever players have already scored.

Caitlin Clark is 'not afraid of this moment'

Clark is letting us into her head ahead of her WNBA debut. Moments before the Fever tip-off the preseason against the Dallas Wings on Friday, the rookie said she’s “very excited” to play despite the “quick turnaround” from the end of her college season.

Clark said she’s going to prepare the same way and have the same belief in herself that she had at Iowa.

"I think just soak in the environment and enjoy it, but more than anything, continue to be me,” she said. “I think the biggest thing I’m telling myself going into this game is don’t be afraid of this moment, you’re ready for this, you worked for this and go get after it." — Cydney Henderson

Sheryl Swoopes calling Caitlin Clark's WNBA debut

Sheryl Swoopes, who’s calling the Indiana-Dallas game tonight, said it best as we get ready for tip off: “Women’s basketball has always been exciting but where we are today, this movement is something we’ve always wanted.”

Swoopes, who was unanimously voted one of the 25 best WNBA players of all time when the league celebrated its 25th anniversary a few seasons ago, certainly knows what she’s talking about. Swoopes was the first-ever player signed to the WNBA and a three-time league MVP.

Indiana Fever vs. Dallas Wings starting lineups

INDIANA FEVER

• Nalyssa Smith
• Caitlin Clark
• Erica Wheeler
• Lexie Hull
• Aliyah Boston

DALLAS WINGS

• Veronica Burton
• Arika Ogunbowale
• Jaelyn Brown
• Natasha Howard
• Tierra McCowan

When she was in college at Northwestern, Burton was considered one of the top defenders in the Big Ten. She'll be familiar with Clark's game, and I fully expect her to guard the rookie.

How to stream Indiana Fever vs. Dallas Wings

Fans can watch on the WNBA’s League Pass by downloading the WNBA app. Preseason games are free. The game also is available for streaming on Fubo here (regional restrictions apply).

Caitlin Clark ready for WNBA debut tonight: 'This is the pros. This is my job.'

DALLAS — It’s officially the day many fans have been waiting for. The day Caitlin Clark, one of the most-hyped picks in WNBA history, makes her professional debut as the Indiana Fever take on the Dallas Wings in the first preseason game of the 2024 season.

"I would’ve liked to start at home, but just throw me out into the fire, why not," Clark joked.

This first preseason game will also be crucial for Clark, who will be seeing live action in the WNBA for the first time.

"Obviously, there’s so much you can do in practice, but you become very familiar with what other teams are doing," Clark said. "I want to step on the court, then I want to leave the court tonight feeling that I played like Caitlin Clark, I played like I have my entire life."

This game will be crucial for the Fever, who are experimenting with new lineups both in the first and second teams. The first team Indiana will potentially run with is Clark, guard Erica Wheeler, small forward Katie Lou Samuelson, forward NaLyssa Smith and center Aliyah Boston.

Kelsey Mitchell, the Fever’s longest-tenured player, is doubtful with an ankle injury. Mitchell will likely slot back into the starting lineup once she returns, and Sides said she was day-to-day. — Chloe Peterson, Indianapolis Star

Read the full story here .

How 10 seconds with Maya Moore changed Caitlin Clark’s life

Caitlin Clark likes to think of it as 10 seconds that changed her life.

Maybe that’s an exaggeration. Clark, who went No. 1 in the WNBA draft and will start her career with the Indiana Fever on Friday when she plays in her first preseason game, at Dallas, probably would have grown up to be a transcendent basketball star even if Maya Moore, the 2014 WNBA MVP, hadn’t hugged her 10 years ago after a Minnesota Lynx game.

Clark probably would have still rewritten the record books , earned an eight-figure shoe deal and drawn millions of new fans to the women’s game.

But that 10 seconds made an impression.

Read Lindsay Schnell’s story here .

WNBA preseason power rankings

Las Vegas is the dominant team in the league, with the reigning champion Aces looking to three-peat. The New York Liberty and Connecticut Sun are right on their heels. The Seattle Storm, Dallas Wings and Phoenix Mercury had productive offseasons to close the gap.

The exciting rookie class is led by Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark , the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft who is trying to lead the franchise back to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. So where do the 12 teams rank?

Scooby Axson provides his WNBA preseason power rankings. Read his analysis here .

Aliyah Boston returns to Fever stronger than ever

INDIANAPOLIS — When Fever center Aliyah Boston wasn’t working as an analyst for women’s college basketball games on Peacock , she was hitting the gym.

A lot.

Between 22 in-studio shows throughout the regular season, then on-location at the Final Four in Cleveland, Boston made sure to put her strength training at the forefront.

“Her body looks amazing,” Fever coach Christie Sides told reporters on the first day of training camp. “She spent the offseason, as busy as she was doing what you guys do — and she was awesome at it, by the way — she was getting in the work.”

Enough so that she didn’t want to publicly say what her new deadlift max is.

Boston, standing at 6-5, was one of the taller centers in the SEC when she played for South Carolina. When she came over to the WNBA, she faced players like Brittney Griner, Jonquel Jones and Teaira McCowan — all of whom are not only taller than her, but stronger, too, with multiple years of experience in the league.

So, the unanimous Rookie of the Year knew she needed to get stronger to be able to contend with the league’s tallest players. — Chloe Peterson, Indianapolis Star

What makes Caitlin Clark so good?

We asked some hoops legends for their thoughts on the generational talent. Steph Curry, Maya Moore, Kelsey Mitchell and others broke down her game, explaining what makes her so special.

When does Caitlin Clark play again?

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever will host the Atlanta Dream on Thursday, May 9, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Fever’s final preseason game is scheduled to tip at 7 p.m. ET.

10 bold predictions for WNBA season

The 28th WNBA season doesn’t tip until May 14, but with preseason games starting Friday, it’s time to start thinking about what’s in store for women’s professional basketball the next few months.

There’s never been more excitement around the women’s game. With a star-studded draft class , a team going for its third consecutive championship and a summer Olympics that will help drum up interest in women’s basketball, the WNBA is headed into its most anticipated season since the league debuted almost three decades ago.

So what can we expect this summer? For starters, Caitlin Clark will lead the WNBA in assists and make the Olympic team.

Read Lindsay Schnell’s WNBA bold predictions here .

10 best regular-season WNBA games to watch in 2024

If the 2023-24 women's college basketball season is any indication, the WNBA is primed for its most exciting and most watched season yet.

College stars like Caitlin Clark, the top overall pick in the 2024 draft by the Indiana Fever who broke all sorts of records during her career at Iowa, and Chicago Sky rookies Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso , who led LSU and South Carolina, respectively, to NCAA championships, captivated the nation with their skills and personality and now embark on their professional careers.

The rookies enter a league that already features the best pro basketball players in the world, players who are hungry to show off their talents to new viewers who might be checking out the WNBA for the first time. There are some regular-season games you will want to circle on your calendar and carve out time to watch on TV or attend.

Click here for 10 regular-season games to watch in the 2024 WNBA season.

What time is Indiana Fever vs. Dallas Wings?

Indiana vs. Dallas tips off at 8 p.m. ET today.

How to watch Indiana Fever vs. Dallas Wings

The game is not televised.

Fever move home exhibition to accommodate Pacers

INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis basketball fans will have to wait one fewer day to see rookie Caitlin Clark make her home debut with the Fever.

With the NBA scheduling the Pacers to host the New York Knicks in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series, Friday, May 10, the Fever's originally scheduled exhibition finale for the same date in the same building something had to give.

The Fever announced Friday its lone home preseason game will move up one day to Thursday, May 9, at 7 p.m. to accommodate the Pacers' playoff schedule. The change will give the Fever six days between their exhibition opener in Dallas tonight and the Dream. — Chloe Peterson, Indianapolis Star

When does the Indiana Fever open the regular season?

Caitlin Clark and the Fever will open the regular season on the road against the Connecticut Sun on May 14. Their home opener is May 16, against the New York Liberty.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Caitlin Clark makes WNBA debut: Recap, highlights as Arike Ogunbowale, Wings edge Fever