Caitlin Clark provided yet another pair of solid stat lines in the Indiana Fever’s slate of games this past week, despite spotty shooting and nagging turnover struggles.
To begin the week, the Fever struggled against the Seattle Storm in Emerald City on June 27, falling, 89-77. Clark’s 15 points led the team, but that only demonstrated the lack of help the rookie has around her to put the ball in the basket.
She played 38 of 40 possible minutes in the contest, boasting an efficient shooting night while connecting on four of nine attempted field goals, three of seven attempted threes, and four of five attempted free throws.
That was in addition to six rebounds and seven assists but six turnovers, although many of such changes of possessions have been her teammates’ inability to receive her passes rather than her own carelessness. Still, Clark continues to lead the league in turnovers per game with nearly six.
On June 30, the ex-Hawkeye’s whopping 12 assists — she is third in the WNBA in assists per game with seven — overshadowed her six more turnovers as the Fever snatched an impressive 88-82 comeback win from behind double-digits to the Phoenix Mercury.
Clark ran for 39 of the game’s 40 minutes, although her shooting was a lot less accurate. She connected on just four of 14 attempted field goals and made just two of 10 threes. But her five of six attempted free throws boosted her up to 15 points in the win — and one rebound shy of a triple-double.
The Fever moved to 8-12 on the season and sit eighth in the league.
Iowa City Aces
On the other side of the states, Kate Martin and Megan Gustafson have continued to play minor bench roles on a Las Vegas Aces team that is getting hot.
Back in her backyard of Chicago to see Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky in the Windy City on June 27, Martin played seven minutes in a 95-83 win.
She scored three points on 1-of-3 from the field, that sole bucket being from deep, and added one board and one assist. Moreover, her plus-minus of +13 was a team-high, demonstrating her value on the floor even when the statistics might not show it.
Gustafson — in a slightly smaller role due to the dominance of A’ja Wilson ahead of her — played just four minutes and did not attempt a shot.
And in a June 29 win, 88-77, over the last-place Washington Mystics, Martin saw six more minutes on the floor and connected on her only attempted shot of the evening — again a three for three points.
Gustafson played six minutes as well in the game but missed both of her shots, also threes, and recorded no other stats.
The Aces are on a roll after a slow start to the season, having now won four of their last four games to move to 10-6 overall. They are working into a groove and charging up the WNBA standings, and a bit more contribution from the two Hawkeyes on the floor would only aid in that boost.