BY: ROBERT ANTHONY MORALES – SPORTS ON AIR USA CORRESPONDENT
INDIANAPOLIS — Who knew? Caitlin Clark can be stopped, after all.
The Indiana Fever rookie and arguably the brightest rising star in the WNBA was held to nine points on 2-of-8 shooting from the field as powerhouse New York Liberty ran through Indiana, 102-66, on Thursday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis.
It has been a challenge so far for the former Iowa star who scored 20 points on Tuesday in a 92-71 loss to the Connecticut Sun, a debut that was marred by 10 turnovers.
Meanwhile, it was two-time MVP Breanna Stewart who showed Clark who is the reigning queen of the WNBA.
Stewart shined with a 31-point effort that led Liberty’s romp in front of a sell-out crowd of 17,247. She also added 10 rebounds and four dimes to her haul.
“I think this is how you want everything to be, you want a sellout crowd like this. It gives you a little bit of a playoff atmosphere feel because usually in the playoffs, the games are sold out,” Stewart told ESPN.
Jonquel Jones added 14 points and 10 rebounds for New York while 3-point threat Sabrina Ionescu also pitched in 14. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton finished with 12.
The Liberty shot 46.2 percent from the field (36-of-78) and 29.6 percent from beyond the arc (8-of-27). In contrast, Indiana made only 22 of 60 shots (36.7 percent) and just 5-of-9 from deep (26.3 percent).
Despite her shooting struggles, Clark gathered seven rebounds and issued six assists. But it was Aliyah Boston who led the way for Indiana with 12 points and 7 rebounds in a losing effort.
“People are playing her aggressively and we can do a better job of trying to help her get some space and get free,” Indiana forward Katie Lou Samuelson said of Clark’s struggles.
