Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) and Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3) discuss at halfcourt throughout a free throw on the Path Middle on June 30, 2024 in Phoenix. After practically a month off, famous person rookie guard Kaitlyn Clark and the Indiana Fever return to motion and proceed their pursuit of a WNBA playoff spot once they tackle the Phoenix Mercury on Friday.
The Fever (11-15) misplaced 101-93 to the Dallas Wings of their closing recreation earlier than the Summer time Olympics break. Indiana received its first two video games, beating the Mercury and Minnesota Lynx earlier than dropping to Dallas.
Earlier than halftime, Clark had 10 assists and 4 factors in her first WNBA All-Star recreation, serving to the WNBA All-Stars take first place on the U.S. Olympic crew. Two of her Fierce teammates — Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston — have been additionally named All-Stars. Mitchell scored 13 factors and Boston scored 4 factors.
Subsequent 12 months’s All-Star Sport might be in Indianapolis, and Clark and her teammates will probably take heart stage in entrance of their residence followers.
Nonetheless, that is nonetheless a great distance off. Now, the Fever are hoping their latest Olympic break will rejuvenate them right into a push for a playoff spot.
“I believe the Olympic break positively helps a crew like ours that hasn’t been collectively in a very long time,” Fever guard Erica Wheeler mentioned. “I believe it’s actually essential to have the ability to get these practices in, to have the ability to get in some actual runs, work actually exhausting and have a couple of days off.”
Added Fever ahead Narissa Smith: “It means quite a bit to us. It is time to work on us. You’re employed on the little issues, protection, offensive rebounding.”
Clark averaged 17.1 factors and a league-leading 8.2 assists per recreation and shot 32.7% from three-point vary. The Olympic break supplied respite for Clark, who performed her closing collegiate recreation on April 7 and made her WNBA preseason debut on Could 3. Enjoying nearly continuous.
Talking of relaxation, the three Olympians aboard the Mercury did not get a lot. Diana Taurasi, Kahleah Copper and Brittney Griner will compete of their first recreation since France returned with its eighth consecutive gold medal. Two video games. The Mercury (14-12) trailed the Coppers by 29 factors and beat the host Chicago Sky 85-65 on Thursday to return to WNBA motion.
“The thrilling factor for us and her is now we have her at her peak,” first-year Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts mentioned of Cooper.
Koper, who performed key minutes and hit the game-winning free throws within the fourth quarter of Group USA’s gold medal recreation win over France, ranks second within the WNBA’s scoring listing this season with 23.4 factors per recreation.
“That is what Kah does,” Taurasi mentioned of Copper. “She’s been taking part in for us all 12 months, and we all know when issues get tight, she’s at all times the alternative. She will do issues that nobody else on our crew can do — nationwide crew or the Mercury.”
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