Caitlin Clark Talks 'Confidence' After Three 3-Pointers in 38 Seconds in Injury Return

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark didn't take long to find her rhythm in her return to a WNBA court Saturday.

The reigning Rookie of the Year had 32 points on 11-of-20 shooting as Indiana beat the New York Liberty 102-88, New York's first loss of the season. During one 38-second stretch in the first quarter, Clark drilled three straight three-pointers.

"I took one in transition — that's where I like to get to early — and it's always good to see the ball go through the hoop," she said after the game. "Then I came down and shot another one. Then I came down and shot another one and saw three in a row go in, so that gives you a lot of confidence."

Clark added that her jumpers throughout the game "came off my hand feeling really good," which added to her self-belief.

The 2024 All-Star had missed the Fever's last four games with a quad injury. In addition to her brief layoff, she was facing the worst possible matchup. New York had dominated its foes through nine games. Prior to Saturday, the Liberty boasted an 88.1 defensive rating, per WNBA.com.

Clark tore that defense to shreds over her 31 minutes of action.

"Don't we always expect that kind of game from Caitlin?" head coach Stephanie White said to reporters. "I knew her adrenaline was going to be high to start. She's been itching to get back out there. [Her scoring] carried us in the first half, and then everybody else carried us in the second half. Her decision-making was outstanding; she did a really good job of getting everybody involved, and that's what she does."

With a 5-5 record, Indiana isn't where the team or a lot of its fans expected to be with a quarter of the campaign gone, though part is that is attributable to Clark's injury.

Saturday's victory will inspire plenty of optimism about what the Fever can do with her healthy again.