Caitlin Clark’s Return Flops as Indiana Fever Crushed by Golden State Valkyries

Caitlin Clark's much-anticipated return to the court turned into a tough pill to swallow for Indiana Fever fans as the team suffered a brutal 80-61 loss to the Golden State Valkyries on Wednesday. Clark, who has been a beacon of hope for the Fever, struggled to find her rhythm, managing only 10 points on a 4-of-12 shooting performance, though she did contribute six assists and five rebounds in her 25 minutes of play.

The game started slipping away from Indiana early, with Golden State dominating the second quarter 20-9, building a daunting halftime lead. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the Valkyries were comfortably ahead at 64-51, and Clark was pulled from the game, not returning as the deficit grew. It wasn’t just Clark who had an off night; the Fever as a team shot a dismal 30.9% from the field, with key player Kelsey Mitchell also faltering at 3-for-13.

On the other side, the Valkyries weren’t exactly setting the scoreboard on fire with their 26-for-70 shooting, but they had standout performances when it mattered. Veronica Burton was the star of the show, dropping a game-high 21 points, including an impressive 5-of-6 from beyond the arc, while also grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out six assists. All-Star Kayla Thornton chipped in with 18 points, powered by four three-pointers and solid free-throw shooting.

For Indiana, now sitting at 9-10, this loss stings, but there’s no time to dwell. They face a formidable Atlanta Dream (12-7) at home on Friday night, and they’ll need to shake off this performance fast if they hope to get back into the win column. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that Clark is back on the court—now it’s about finding that winning spark again.