
Caitlin Clark returns to Iowa in Fever's preseason game against Brazil despite leg injury
Clark stopped late in the third quarter of Sunday's WNBA preseason game between the Indiana Fever and the Brazilian national team and launched a 3-pointer near the '22' logo on Iowa's Carver-Hawkeye Arena court. It was the spot where she hit the shot in her senior season in 2024 that made her the all-time leading scorer in NCAA women's basketball, and of course it went in.
This shot, with 25 seconds left in the third quarter, capped Clark's return to the arena where she broke records on her way to becoming the NCAA Division I all-time scoring leader.
'I was like, 'Ah, why not?'' Clark said, smiling. Had to give the fans a little something.'
Clark, starting her second season with the Fever, scored 16 points in Indiana's 108-44 win.
Clark's day was bookended by shots that were reminiscent of her career with Iowa's women's basketball team — her first 3-pointer came from the tip of the beak on Iowa's 'Tigerhawk' logo at midcourt 34 seconds into the game.
And after both shots went in, the crowd response sounded just like all the shots she made in front of sellout crowds as she led the Hawkeyes to back-to-back appearances in the NCAA national championship game in her final two seasons.
'It's amazing to see how many people love her,' Fever forward Makayla Timpson said.
Clark, dealing with a leg injury that kept her out of Saturday's preseason opener against the Washington Mystics, played almost 19 minutes, and that was enough to please the capacity crowd of 14,998. She finished the game making 6 of 10 shots, and added six rebounds and five assists.
'Something about this gym makes me play well,' Clark said.
It was Clark's second time back at the arena since she left the Hawkeyes — she had her jersey No. 22 retired in a ceremony after Iowa's 76-69 win over USC on Feb. 2.
'I've told my teammates they're going to be here cheering for me, yes, but they're also going to be here cheering for you and our entire team,' Clark said before the game. 'And I think that's what's so great about these fans, is they really rally around the entire team. It's not just myself, and that's what I love about it.'
Clark was greeted with a loud ovation when she took the court before the game, and the noise continued throughout the day. The crowd noise for Clark's pregame introduction reached 116 decibels, and the first 3-pointer recorded 117-decibel applause.
That kind of a response wasn't a surprise to Fever coach Stephanie White.
'I've seen the Caitlin Clark stuff from the outside looking in and being on the television side and certainly being an opponent,' said White, who called some of Clark's games while working at ESPN and went against her last season as the coach of the Connecticut Sun. 'For us to be able to bring Caitlin back here and to bring our team here to experience this fan base, it's an incredible opportunity.'
Iowa coach Jan Jensen had the same reaction.
'We're just proud that we can fill this place up in May,' she said. 'Are you kidding me?'
The event became a hot ticket as soon as it was announced earlier this year. The average paid price of $440 per ticket on the secondary market this week made it the most in-demand event involving Clark, according to ticketing technology company Victory Live, which analyzes sales across the secondary market. Asking prices on the secondary market Wednesday ranged from $146 to $2,368.
Clark made it clear before the game she was going to play despite the injury, although it was apparent the injury was still an issue — when she came out of the game in the first half she went to the tunnel behind the Fever bench to ride a stationary bike.
'It sucked being on the sideline yesterday, but obviously, it's probably just the best decision in the preseason,' Clark said.
Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever with 17 points. Aliyah Boston added 11.
Clark left the game after making that last shot, and as she got to the bench waved to the crowd, encouraging one last cheer.
'That's my goal,' Clark said before the game. 'Get them involved, get them loud.'
___

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a minute ago
- Yahoo
🤯 Relegation battle drama: Neymar celebrates a goal that never was
Phantom goal, but different: Neymar seems to be losing his nerves a bit in the relegation battle with FC Santos. In a league game against SC International on Wednesday night, he celebrated a goal without waiting for the ball to actually cross the line (spoiler: it didn't) and argued with one of his own fans after the final whistle. But how did it come to this? An opponent's header cleared the ball from the five-meter area, superstar Neymar got the ball at his feet, shot from about nine meters and a half-left position, the ball went from the goalkeeper's glove to the right post and towards the goal line. Immediately, Neymar turned around, slid to his knees towards the corner flag, kicked it to pieces, and celebrated his goal in front of the fans - only to realize shortly afterwards that he was alone in his joy. But why? Are his teammates not happy that not even the superstar could free his hometown club from relegation worries since his return at the beginning of the year? Not at all. The reason for his solo jubilation is a different one: the supposed goal wasn't one at all. While the Brazilian had already turned towards the corner flag, the opposing goalkeeper Sergio Rochet was able to clear the ball from the line with a quick turn and a dive - Neymar celebrated alone a goal that didn't exist, while behind him the game continued normally after the goalkeeper's kick-off. Arguing with a fan in the relegation battle Particularly bitter: this Neymar goal would have been an important one. At the time, Santos was trailing 1-2, so it would have meant equalizing shortly before the end and thus earning a point in the relegation battle. The situation is getting increasingly dire for Neymar and Co. Currently, Santos is in 17th place, the relegation spot, after nine defeats in 15 games. Not even the final whistle could finally free Neymar from this bitter evening: he got into an argument with a Santos fan in the stands and got into a heated discussion. He justified himself on Instagram today, saying that the fan had insulted him in an unacceptable way. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here. 📸 Ricardo Moreira - 2025 Getty Images
Yahoo
a minute ago
- Yahoo
Five impending departures help Milan towards Jashari
Recent reports claim that Milan are moving closer to an agreement with Club Brugge over a possible deal for Ardon Jashari, partly as a result of a series of impending Rossoneri departures, including Emerson Royal and Lorenzo Colombo. Milan have been targeting a move for Jashari for most of the summer transfer window, but have not yet been able to satisfy Club Brugge's request for a fee in the region of €40m. Massimiliano Allegri's side had not found an agreement after an offer of €32.5m plus add-ons, but reports on Thursday evening claimed that they are now prepared to offer a fixed fee of €35m, plus a series of easily achievable bonuses, which could potentially be enough to get the deal done. BERGAMO, ITALY – FEBRUARY 18: Ardon Jashari of Club Brugge KV celebrates victory following the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off second leg match between Atalanta BC and Club Brugge KV at Gewiss Stadium on February 18, 2025 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by) Reports from claim that Igli Tare is confident of closing a deal with Club Brugge in the coming days. Which departures help Milan towards improved Jashari offer? Calciomercato suggests that the Rossoneri have been able to find the additional funds and space in the squad through a number of impending departures. Among those players expected to leave Milan in the near future is Emerson Royal, who is expected to join Flamengo in a permanent deal after the Brazilian outfit successfully hijacked the deal between the Rossoneri and Besiktas. Emerson Royal of AC Milan in action during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD1 match between AC Milan and Liverpool FC at Stadio San Siro on September 17, 2024 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by) Also leaving Milan is Lorenzo Colombo after five consecutive loan spells away from San Siro. He will head to Genoa on an initial loan deal with a potential obligation to buy included. Milan are also prepared to send Noah Okafor out on loan again, with reports suggesting that Bologna are interested and keen to include an option to buy. MILAN, ITALY – AUGUST 17: Noah Okafor of celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Serie A match between AC Milan and Torino at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on August 17, 2024 in San Siro, Italy. (Photo by) Midfielders Yacine Adlie and Ismael Bennacer, neither of whom travelled with the squad for their pre-season tour in Asia, are also expected to leave the club this summer. Recent updates claim that Sassuolo and Torino are potentially interested in the Frenchman, while Marseille and Al-Ittihad are interested in the Algerian.


Newsweek
34 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Donald Trump's New Order Hits College Football 'Salaries'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Trump on Thursday signed an Executive Order that seeks to ban so-called "pay-for-play" payments to college athletes, which critics argue are de facto salaries, arguing college sports in the U.S. is "under unprecedented threat." Why It Matters In 2021 the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) can't impose limits on the education-related benefits available to college athletes who play in Division I basketball and football. Shortly afterward the NCAA introduced a new interim policy allowing college athletes to benefit financially from their name, image or likeness (NIL) such as through merchandising and brand endorsements. Direct salaries remain banned and the exact rules vary between states. Critics argued the new system has resulted in some players receiving de facto salaries via NIL payments, to the benefit of the wealthiest university teams, while supporters argue the move was needed to avoid exploitation. What To Know Trump's executive order instructs the Secretary of Education, together with the Attorney General, Health and Human Services Secretary, and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) chair, to formulate a plan within 30 days to achieve a number of objectives including the elimination of "pay-for-play inducements" in college sports. The president specified that Attorney General Pam Bondi and FTC chair Lina Khan should use "litigation, guidelines, policies, or other actions, as appropriate" to achieve this objective. Within 60 days of the Executive Order being issued the Attorney General and FTC chair are also instructed to "review, and as necessary revise" their proposals including regarding federal legal action. Jeremiah Smith #4 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second quarter in the 2025 CFP National Championship at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January... Jeremiah Smith #4 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second quarter in the 2025 CFP National Championship at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 20, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. More Todd Kirkland/GETTY Trump's order also states it is "the policy of the executive branch that opportunities for scholarships and collegiate athletic competition in women's and nonrevenue sports must be preserved and, where possible, expanded" from the 2025-6 athletic season onward. Collegiate athletic departments which had revenue greater than $125,000,000 during the 2024-5 season are instructed to "provide more scholarship opportunities in nonrevenue sports" next season. Those with a revenue of at least $50,000,000 must "provide at least as many scholarship opportunities in nonrevenue sports as provided during the 2024-2025 athletic season." In February 2025 Trump signed an executive order banning transgender athletes from competing in female college sports, and stripping federal funding from any universities that failed to comply. What People Are Saying In his Executive Order Trump said: "The future of college sports is under unprecedented threat. Waves of recent litigation against collegiate athletics governing rules have eliminated limits on athlete compensation, pay-for-play recruiting inducements, and transfers between universities, unleashing a sea change that threatens the viability of college sports. "While changes providing some increased benefits and flexibility to student-athletes were overdue and should be maintained, the inability to maintain reasonable rules and guardrails is a mortal threat to most college sports." Trump's move was welcomed by NCAA President Charlie Baker who said: "The NCAA is making positive changes for student-athletes and confronting many challenges facing college sports by mandating health and wellness benefits and guaranteeing scholarships, but there are some threats to college sports that federal legislation can effectively address and the Association is advocating with student-athletes and their schools for a bipartisan solution with Congress and the Administration. "The Association appreciates the Trump Administration's focus on the life-changing opportunities college sports provides millions of young people and we look forward to working with student-athletes, a bipartisan coalition in Congress and the Trump Administration to enhance college sports for years to come." What Happens Next It remains to be seen exactly what measures the various federal agencies will suggest to achieve Trump's policy objectives in college sports over the next 30 days. Payment for college athletes is likely to remain controversial considering the enormous viewing and attendance figures enjoyed by college football and basketball in particular.