“Lot to learn from” - Caitlin Clark weighs in on WNBA’s pre-season debut after thrilling 21-point outing

After her first appearance in the WNBA as the Indiana Fever faced the Dallas Wings for a preseason game on Friday, Caitlin Clark weighed in on her performance in an interview right after the match.

The first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft spoke about the game being a learning experience for her as a rookie in the league.

"Overall, a lot to learn from. These are great learning experiences for us," Clark said. "Go back and watch the film, film doesn't lie, and learn from that."

Clark recorded 21 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals in the game as the Indiana Fever were defeated 79-76 by the Dallas Wings. She also committed five turnovers in the game and 15 points of her total came from her signature long threes.

Tied at 76-76, Arike Ogunbowale drained a stepback three-pointer to put the Wings up 79-76 with three seconds left in the game. Clark missed a tough game-tying three-pointer to lose her first game with the Indiana Fever.

The game featured a tight back-and-forth contest that went down to the wire in the final seconds of the game. Though she lost the game, Clark said that it was a great game for her WNBA preseason debut.

“You couldn’t ask for a better game, really, for women’s basketball,” Clark said.

Caitlin Clark gave a glimpse to fans of how she's connecting with the Fever at the WNBA stage with her performance in the Fever's first of two preseason games.

However, her official debut in the WNBA will be on May 14 as the Indiana Fever face the Connecticut Sun for their first game of the 2024-25 WNBA regular season.

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"It's just a learning process" - Indiana Fever coach tags the preseason game loss as opportunity to learn Caitlin Clark

Though the Indiana Fever dropped their first game of the preseason, head coach Christie Sides sees the loss as a learning experience for the team ahead of the regular season.

Sides spoke about learning how Caitlin Clark fits in the team and figuring out what rotation works well around Clark. She also acknowledged the 22-year-old getting tired during the game and spoke about working around with the rotation so that Clark can be more efficient on the court.

“It’s just a learning process,” Sides was quoted as saying by USA Today. “Learning (Clark) and learning the rest of our team. And finding out who’s playing well and which rotation.”

“We’re just five days in with a point guard with Caitlin,” Sides added. “We’re able to put some really good players around her that she doesn’t have to work as hard."

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever will host the Atlanta Dream on May 10 for their second and final preseason game.