WNBA rookie Caitlin Clark made sure to give an old friend a nice hello after a long game on Thursday night.
Shortly after the Indiana Fever's 83-80 preseason win over the Atlanta Dream , the star guard was huddled up with teammates as they celebrated one another after the win. Once that huddle dispersed, Clark headed to the sideline where Gabbie Marshall, one of her former Iowa co-stars, waited for a greeting.
The two then shared a long embrace, with Marshall saying something in Clark's ear. In another angle of the meeting, Clark was spotted replying to whatever it was that Marshall said.
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Clark and Marshall were teammates at Iowa for four seasons, from 2020-21 to 2023-24. The two were instrumental in helping the Hawkeyes reach the NCAA Tournament final in back-to-back years, though Iowa lost both times to LSU and South Carolina, respectively.
And while Marshall and Clark were successful on the basketball court, the former admitted she was at the end of her basketball journey. "I'm probably going to get on with life," the 23-year-old told reporters . "I've applied to get my Master's of Occupational Therapy. I've gotten into two schools now, just waiting to hear from one more. So that's my plan for when this is all over."
Meanwhile, Clark is continuing her basketball career , being selected No. 1 overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Fever. Clark is tabbed to be one of Indiana's building blocks of the future, pairing her with Aliyah Boston to form a formidable tandem.
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Even though Clark had a forgettable game, at least by her standards, she was still able to make things happen on both ends of the ball. Although she struggled from the field, finishing the game with 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting from the field, she did have eight rebounds and six assists.
Of note, Clark displayed her incredible vision, hitting NaLyssa Smith with a perfect outlet pass for a layup to give the Fever a 50-49 lead. That was Indiana's first lead of the game since scoring the first points of the contest.
Additionally, with the Dream down 83-80 with under 19 seconds to go, Clark clamped Crystal Dangerfield on defense, forcing her to give the ball to Aerial Powers with barely any time left on the shot clock. Powers' 3-point attempt was immediately blocked by Grace Berger, effectively ending the game.
After the game, Clark explained how she felt that he did not perform up to her standards. "I didn't think I was that effective tonight," she told reporters succinctly.
However, Smith made sure to have her teammate's back, especially after finishing with a game-high 21 points. "She was effective," Smith added. "Everybody is so forced on her, she's giving the rest of us opportunity."
With how Clark remained effective despite having an off night, Indiana's fans have to be happy with how the star rookie is finding other ways to be a factor. And with Marshall in the stands, perhaps the two reminisced about their basketball exploits.
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