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Caitlin Clark and Kate Martin went toe-to-toe on Wednesday as the Indiana Fever hosted the Golden State Valkyries. Martin earned a start in this contest, marking it the first time she went up against Clark from tipoff in the WNBA. Martin and the Valkyries earned the bragging rights for the second time against Indiana after recording a thumping 80-61 win and improving to 10-9.
On the other hand, the Fever dropped to 9-10 despite the return of Clark, who missed the past five games with a groin injury. Despite Indiana's woes, Clark remained composed after the game and embraced her ex-Iowa teammate.
Women's sports photographer Bri Lewerke shared the duo's snaps from the game on her Instagram with the caption:
"From starting together at Iowa to starting against each other in the W"
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Clark and Martin acknowledged the post with their comments.
"I love her," Martin wrote.
"🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵," Clark added.
Kate Martin played 19 minutes in her second start this season and fourth in the WNBA. She finished with five points and two rebounds, shooting 2 of 7, including 1 of 4 from 3. Meanwhile, Caitlin Clark's struggles in 2025 continued with another substandard outing. She had 10 points, five rebounds, six assists and four turnovers in 25 minutes. Clark shot 4 of 12, including 2 of 5 from 3.
Martin improved to 4-0 in head-to-head matchups against her former Iowa teammate.
Caitlin Clark on another brutal loss for Fever
The Indiana Fever came into the season with great expectations after stacking their roster with veteran talent. However, it hasn't panned out as projected. DeWanna Bonner, one of the marquee signings, was waived. Meanwhile, Natasha Howard and Sophie Cunningham are yet to find consistency.
Coach Stephanie White's arrival had fans hyped, with many deeming her to be an ideal fit for Caitlin Clark. But with a 9-10 record, things don't look promising for the Fever, who were hoping to be among the contenders.
After another disappointing loss on Wednesday. Clark pointed out the team's flaws:
"It starts on the defense, we struggled…we struggled to do what the coach asked of us. We played with poor energy and effort, those are things that can’t happen."
It's become a staple response after every Fever loss. The Fever's intensity at times has been unmatched, but on the days they don't have it, they end up struggling.
