The Indiana Fever finished off a perfect 3-0 preseason with an 81-76 win against the Atlanta Dream on Saturday, but a concerning pattern emerged from the performances of Indiana superstar Caitlin Clark.
Clark only played in two of the Fever’s three preseason contests. She sat out the first game against the Washington Mystics, which came one day before her return to University of Iowa against the Brazil National Team.
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Clark’s logo three against Brazil — from beyond the spot dedicated to her on Iowa’s court — was the loudest of her 29 preseason points in the two games she played.
The 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year shot 11-for-21 (7-for-14 on three-pointers) to go with an average of 6.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 3.0 turnovers per game in the preseason.
However, it was a stat that Clark did not record that left fans concerned heading into her second professional season, which tips off next Saturday with a marquee game against Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky at 3 p.m. ET on ABC.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) walks back to the bench in the third quarter against the New York Liberty at Barclays Center.Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
In 42 minutes played across the games against Atlanta and Brazil, Clark did not attempt a single free throw.
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The 23-year-old certainly was not invisible to the officials, who whistled her for four personal fouls in total, including one technical foul against the Dream.
“face of the league can’t get a single whistle,” one fan said on X.
“That seems so unreal, not one foul,” questioned another.
“The whistle is worse than last year, it’s over,” feared a fan.
“I don’t care for ethical hoops tbh this is bad and an area I want to see her to improve in during the season,” replied one concerned X user.
While Clark, her outspoken father and WNBA fans all believe she could get more calls, stats show that she got to the line plenty last season.
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The Fever guard attempted 4.5 free throws per game, tied for 12th-most in the league. Among rookies, only Reese shot more at 5.2 per game.
Related: Indiana Fever Facing Major Decision Before Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese Showdown
Related: Fans Have No Faith in Caitlin Clark After Hearing Her Goal for WNBA Season
