Caitlin Clark opened her sophomore WNBA season in sensational fashion, recording the third triple-double of her career to lead the Indiana Fever past the Chicago Sky, 93-58, in a dominant performance that rekindled one of the league’s most compelling rivalries.
Clark, last year’s Rookie of the Year, filled the stat sheet with 20 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, and a career-high four blocked shots, showcasing her expanded all-around game in front of a sold-out home crowd. It marked a statement performance not just for Clark but for a retooled Fever team that looks poised to make serious noise this season.
“We wanted to come out with intensity, and I think our defense really set the tone,” Clark said after the game. “Everybody contributed — that’s what makes this team special.”
Indeed, the Fever’s supporting cast delivered. All-Star forward Aliyah Boston added a monstrous 19-point, 13-rebound, five-block effort, anchoring the interior on both ends. Natasha Howard, in her Fever debut, chipped in 15 points, while WNBA veteran DeWanna Bonner scored seven points and made history by moving into third place on the league’s all-time scoring list. Bonner now sits at 7,489 career points, passing Hall of Famer Tina Thompson. The win margin — 35 points — tied for the second-largest in Fever franchise history.
But the game’s narrative wasn’t complete without the latest installment of the Caitlin Clark–Angel Reese saga. With 4:38 left in the third quarter, Clark swiped down across Reese’s arms on a drive, sending the Sky rookie to the floor. Reese sprang up to confront Clark, only for Aliyah Boston to intercede, separating the two before tempers escalated.
Following a video review, officials upgraded Clark’s foul to a flagrant-1 and issued technical fouls to both Reese and Boston. Reese made one of two free throws, and a layup from Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot briefly cut the deficit to 56-45. But the Fever responded with a crushing 9-0 run to close the quarter and never looked back.
The Sky, also featuring a reshaped roster, struggled to keep pace. Reese finished with 12 points and a game-high 17 rebounds, continuing her rebounding dominance. Ariel Atkins added 11 points, but Chicago couldn’t recover from a late second-quarter collapse that bled into the second half. Indiana outscored Chicago 50-18 over the final 16½ minutes.
The win marked Stephanie White’s first game — and first victory — in her second stint as Fever head coach. White, a former Indiana Miss Basketball and NCAA champion with Purdue, was welcomed home with a dominant team performance that hinted at a promising future.
“We played connected basketball,” White said. “There’s still plenty to clean up, but the energy, the execution, and the chemistry — it’s starting to show.”
As for Clark and Reese, the latest chapter in their on-court rivalry added another layer of intrigue to what’s fast becoming one of the WNBA’s most talked-about matchups. And if Saturday’s clash was any indication, their battles — and the Fever’s ambitions — are only just heating up.
