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The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan
The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

Hawks in the WNBA | Clark back to dominating the league post-Olympic break

The Indiana Fever and Las Vegas Aces are nearing playoff security down the final stretch of the regular season.
Chris Meglio, Pregame Reporter
August 29, 2024
Isabella Tisdale
Las Vegas center Megan Gustafson and Minnesota forward Alanna Smith run for a loose ball during a WNBA game between the Minnesota Lynx and the Las Vegas Aces at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn. on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. The Lynx defeated the Aces, 87-74. The teams faced off a two days prior in Las Vegas, where the Lynx won, 98-87.

The WNBA is back in action after Team USA’s gold medal quest in the 2024 Paris Olympics — a successful journey that didn’t include Caitlin Clark. After a whole month off from play, the monster is still awake.

Clark and Co. have won four of five games since the season resumed play, with three of those wins coming against opponents above them in the league standings. Indiana owns the seventh seed with a 15-16 record — three-and-a-half games above the eighth-seeded Chicago Sky.

The first win came on Aug. 16 against the sixth-seeded Phoenix Mercury, 98-89, with the all-star guard leading the way for the Fever with 29 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds on 8-of-16 shooting.

Clark turned around and logged 23 points, nine assists, five rebounds, two blocks, and one steal on 9-of-19 shooting while notching the all-time rookie assists record in the 92-75 victory over the fourth-seeded Seattle Storm on Aug. 18.

The Fever’s only loss post-Olympic break so far came against the third-seeded Minnesota Lynx, 90-80, on Aug. 24, despite Clark’s 23-point, eight-assist, five-rebound outing. After the game, Clark watched as her childhood idol, Maya Moore, had her Lynx jersey retired.

Indiana bounced back with wins over the Atlanta Dream on Aug. 26 and the second-seed Connecticut Sun on Aug. 28. Clark produced 19 points, seven assists, seven rebounds, two steals, and one block on 6-of-14 shooting in the 84-79 win over the Dream.

She then furnished another 19 points, along with five assists, five rebounds, one steal, and one block on 7-of-17 shooting in the 84-80 win over the Sun.

That’s not to mention she etched her name into another record for threes made by a rookie in a season.

The Fever’s playoff aspirations are becoming clearer with each victory.

Role changes for Gustafson and Martin as Aces tumble

The Las Vegas Aces sent out six players to Paris — one of them being former Hawkeye Gustafson as she led Spain to an underwhelming finish. Her role has expanded since returning to the Aces, but the team dropped four of its first six games post-Olympic break.

In the first game back from the break, the sixth-year center played just six minutes and posted a scoreless outing with one turnover in the Aces’ 79-67 loss to the first-seeded New York Liberty on Aug. 17. She played 11 minutes the next night, recording two points, three rebounds, and one steal in the 87-71 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks.

Then came a crucial pair of losses to the Minnesota Lynx on Aug. 21 and 23. Gustafson played nine minutes in each contest, recording three points and one rebound on one made three-pointer in the first game and five points on 2-of-3 shooting in the second game.

To handle the size of eighth-seeded Chicago Sky’s frontcourt, Aces head coach Becky Hammon gave Gustafson her first starting nod of the season. She produced a season-high 13 points and four rebounds on 5-of-8 shooting in the Aces’ 77-75 clutch win on Aug. 25.

As a result, Hammon kept Gustafson in the starting lineup for the 93-90 loss to the Dallas Wings on Aug. 27. She recorded one block and held scoreless on three shot attempts in 11 minutes.

Meanwhile, Kate Martin hasn’t seen much time on the floor post-Olympic break. The first-year guard was having a solid rookie campaign, working her way into the rotation for a team hunting a three-peat, before suffering a bruised Achilles tendon in the last game before the league hiatus.

Martin was back healthy when the WNBA resumed its season, but she hasn’t been afforded nearly the same opportunity she once had. Through the past six games, Martin logged four three-minute appearances and two DNPs, recording just one rebound and three turnovers on two missed shots.

Hammon has not publicly spoken about Martin’s lack of playing time. The Aces sit firmly as the fifth seed in the league with an 18-12 record.

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