Caitlin Clark scores 21 points, gives the Fever a brief scare in her 1st home game in 9 months

TL;DR

Caitlin Clark scored 21 points in her first home game in over nine months but left the game after a collision in the third quarter. The Indiana Fever lost to the Dallas Wings 95-80.

Key points

Caitlin Clark scored 21 points in her first home game in 9 months
Clark suffered a leg injury after a collision with Alanna Smith
The Indiana Fever lost to the Dallas Wings 95-80
Clark praised the referees for their performance during the game

Caitlin ClarkIndiana FeverDallas WingsAlanna Smith

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Caitlin Clark's first home game in more than nine months was supposed to be a celebration.

Instead, she gave the Indiana Fever and fans a scare Thursday night.

Clark crumpled to the ground early in the third quarter when Dallas forward Alanna Smith collided with her leg on a shot attempt, and then limped toward the bench as she walked off the injury during a replay review that resulted in a Flagrant 1 call. The two-time All-Star then made two free throws before departing and watching the rest of the game from the bench.

“I feel good. I just landed on my kneecap really hard,” Clark said after scoring 21 points in a 95-80 loss to the Wings. “I know there's a committee of people that really wanted them (the refs) to start calling things, and I thought they did a great job of that. Honestly, I thought the refs were great, and it's preseason so you're probably going to see more fouls called. I expect that number to drop. But I think overall, it's going to improve the product.”

Initially, it looked as if little had changed since Clark last suited up in Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 13, when the Fever beat Dallas.

The pregame autograph line snaked through the seats, the No. 22 jerseys and Clark T-shirts were as fashionable Thursday night as they were during her record-breaking rookie season, and, naturally, Clark was greeted with the usual loud cheers during player introductions.

Sure, it was only a preseason game, but it did feature the league's last two Rookie of the Year award winners — Clark and Paige Bueckers. Yet Fever fans had been yearning for this moment since Clark went down July 15 with a right groin injury that forced her to miss the All-Star Game and the All-Star weekend festivities in Indianapolis, as well as Indiana's final 22 regular-season games and its incredible run to the WNBA semifinals.