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All eyes were on Caitlin Clark Wednesday night as she made her expected return from injury during a road game in Los Angeles.
But instead of a triumphant comeback, the Fever spent all night chasing the Sparks as Clark’s struggling comeback fueled a 106-92 rout.
The superstar never found the rhythm, looking completely out of sync in his return from a back injury.
STEPHANIE WHITE GIVES UPDATE ON CAITLIN CLARK’S STATUS BEFORE SPARKS OF FEVER, BUT HER NEXT MOVE RAISES QUESTIONS
Caitlin Clark huddles with her teammates as the Indiana Fever battles the Sparks. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) ((Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images))
Much of this disjointed performance falls squarely on head coach Stephanie White, who held Clark on a ridiculously tight leash by limiting her to just 16 minutes. The stop-and-go approach could have sabotaged any chance the phenomenon had of establishing a rhythm.
Clark finished with just 9 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. His minus-16 plus-minus tells the story.
The Los Angeles Sparks were severely shorthanded, taking the floor without stars Kelsey Plum and Cameron Brink.
MERCURY’S NOW-DELETED SOCIAL MEDIA POST MOCKING CAITLIN CLARK HOLDS REVIEW AFTER STAR’S INJURY
Yet while a depleted Sparks team played to win, Indiana spent the night overmanaging its biggest asset.
With Clark on a minutes restriction and Aliyah Boston out of the lineup, Kelsey Mitchell was forced to shoulder all the offensive burden.
Mitchell did his part, scoring 29 points while shooting 5 of 9 from beyond the arc.
Caitlin Clark orchestrates the Fever offense as Indiana takes on the Los Angeles Sparks in prime time. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) ((Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images))
But a hot hand couldn’t stop an efficient Los Angeles team.
The Sparks shot 45% from three-point range, going 9 of 20 from deep in the 106-92 victory.
White’s next move is to sit Clark against the Mercury on Thursday while Boston returns.
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After Wednesday’s loss to a short-handed Sparks team, it’s fair to wonder if Indiana’s cautious approach is working. The fever is down to 12-9.
Caitlin Clark and Dearica Hamby face off as Fever and Sparks face off at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. (Photo by Tyler Ross/NBAE via Getty Images) ((Photo by Tyler Ross/NBAE via Getty Images))
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