Caitlin Clark’s 20 points not enough in Fever opener loss (1:39)Caitlin Clark’s 20 points not enough as Fever fall to Wings in opener 107-104. (1:39)
Kareem CopelandMay 9, 2026, 06:14 PM ETMultiple Authors
INDIANAPOLIS — Caitlin Clark admitted to being a bit anxious before playing in her first regular-season WNBA game since July 15. Injuries limited her to just 13 games last season, and here she was, stepping back onto the court Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, bathed in an overhead spotlight as the crowd strained their vocal cords.
The 2024 No. 1 pick, Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Star had officially returned. She finished with 20 points, seven assists and five rebounds. The 3-point shot was off, though, as she went 2-for-9 from beyond the arc.
“I feel good,” Clark said after the Fever’s 107-104 loss to the Dallas Wings. “Started off a little slow, I think just the anxiety of the first game, trying to work through that. But overall, I felt good, felt fast out there. Felt like I was literally a couple buckets away from putting together a really, really good game and helping us win.”
Clark left the bench area twice to work with medical staff away from the court. She said she needed to get her “back adjusted” but returned to the game both times. “It gets out of line pretty quickly,” Clark said. “So just that, just getting my back put back in place a little bit. But other than that, feel great.”
“She has adjusted her body,” White said. “When we’re all really young, we don’t learn proper mechanics and then it doesn’t get exposed until something happens. … This is going to be an ongoing thing. Not just her. We’ve had multiple players who’ve gone back … and get adjusted and make sure that the body’s working. Hip alignment gets off. Rib alignment gets off and it’s part of being a professional athlete. Nothing outside of that.
Four-time All-Star and 2020 scoring champion Arike Ogunbowale, who missed the final 12 games of 2025 because of injury, poured in 22 points for the Wings. Bueckers, the reigning Rookie of the Year, and 2019 All-Star and All-WNBA selection Sims each added 20 points.
Clark seemed unaffected on the court and certainly warmed up in the second half as she shot 50% from the field and had five of her seven assists. During one third-quarter stretch, Clark knocked down a 29-foot triple before letting loose a spinning fist pump and shouting toward the crowd. Just over a minute later, she dropped a perfect behind-the-back bounce pass in transition to Myisha Hines-Allen for a layup. Soon after, Clark went coast-to-coast for a finger-roll layup, confounding a defending Paige Bueckers in the process. To finish the third quarter, Clark spun off Odyssey Sims for another finger roll with 1.7 seconds remaining.
Caitlin Clark’s 20 points not enough in Fever opener loss (1:39)Caitlin Clark’s 20 points not enough as Fever fall to Wings in opener 107-104. (1:39)
Fever coach Stephanie White added that that’s “part of maintaining the body.”
“We wouldn’t have played her 30 minutes if she wasn’t OK.”
Caitlin Clark’s 20 points not enough as Fever fall to Wings in opener 107-104. (1:39)
Kareem CopelandMay 9, 2026, 06:14 PM ETMultiple Authors