Caitlin Clark Triple-Doubles, Angel Reese Stars as Fever Beat Sky in Van Lith's Debut
On the heels of an undefeated preseason, Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever continued their winning ways in their 2025 WNBA regular-season opener on Saturday, blowing out Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky 93-58 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Clark, who is fresh off winning the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award last season, struggled with her shot early on, but she righted the ship and recorded a triple-double with 20 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds to go along with four blocks and two steals.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James celebrated Clark's season-opening triple-double with the following post on X:
According to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press, Clark's triple-double was historic, as she was the first WNBA player to ever finish with at least 20 points, 10 assists, 10 rebounds and four blocks in a game:
Reese was among the bright spots for the Sky in defeat, recording a 12-point, 17-rebound double-double after leading the league in double-doubles last season as a rookie with 26.
The Sky struggled mightily with their offensive efficiency Saturday, shooting just 29.1 percent from the field and 22.2 percent from three-point range, compared to 46.7 from the floor and 33.3 from deep for Indiana.
Also, while Clark was the standout from the Fever, she got plenty of help from her supporting cast, as Natasha Howard finished with 15 points, Kelsey Mitchell scored 15 and Aliyah Boston chipped in 19.
LeBron seemed to be impressed with the team the Indiana front office assembled around Clark, as he praised the versatility of Howard and DeWanna Bonner:
Clark bookended the first half of Saturday's game with a couple of big trifectas to give the Fever momentum.
The first occurred less than two minutes into the game when she drilled a deep triple to give Indiana a three-point lead:
Then, after scuffling a bit with her shot for much of the first half, Clark found her shooting stroke at the perfect time by nailing a three just before the end of the half to extend the Fever's lead to 13 entering the break:
Reese delivered some highlights of her own in the first half, scoring a tough bucket inside for her first points of the season, and even knocking down a rare three:
Aside from Reese, Ariel Atkins was the only other Sky player to score in double figures, finishing with 11 points. Rookie first-round pick Hailey Van Lith also made her WNBA debut late in the fourth quarter, recording four points in four minutes.
The Fever widened the gap even more during the third quarter with Clark playing a starring role, as she hit Howard with a perfect pass for an easy bucket and then broke down the defense with some fancy dribbling before making a basket of her own:
The Fever went on to close it out in the fourth quarter, getting their season off to an ideal start.
It didn't take long for Clark to develop into a superstar and the face of the league, and SI.com's Chris Mannix made note of how significant it could be for the WNBA if the Fever are a top team as well:
Last season, Indiana finished 20-20 and reached the playoffs for the first time since 2016, leading to sky-high expectations for the team's progression in 2025.
A pair of veterans with championship experience in Howard and Bonner were added to the core of Clark, Boston and Mitchell, and they showed what they were capable of in the opener.
If Saturday was any indication, the Fever may legitimate championship contenders for the first time in a decade.
Indiana will be back in action Tuesday when it hosts the Atlanta Dream, while the Sky will look to get their first win of the season Thursday when they face the New York Liberty at home.
