For Caitlin Clark, it wasn’t the enormity of her return to the W after months that got to her on Saturday; it was the opposition camp that got her thinking. Competing in the preseason against the NY Liberty, featuring their Big Three and one of the tallest players in the league, Han Xu, Clark was awestruck, to the point that she made a revelation to Jonquel Jones, one half of their team’s Big Three.

Speaking at the post-game press conference, Jones revealed a sarcastic conversation she had with Clark before the game about the New York Liberty’s star-studded lineup.

“It was funny because me and Caitlin were checking in at the same time and she was like, ‘Man, that big lineup for you guys is massive,”Jones said. ““I was like, ‘Yeah man.’ I think it can be really good for us, so I’m excited to be out there with them, two really talented, really special players.”

Now, there’s no doubt that if there’s a team in the WNBA this season that can be considered a team of Avengers, most will pick the New York Liberty. After all, you don’t see that a team has Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, Sabrina Ionescu, and Rebekah Gardner in the starting five. The lineup is frightening for any team and for any player in the opposition.

And the enormity of the moment didn’t even spare Clark, who seemed awestruck regarding facing these players, especially Ionescu and Gardner, on the perimeter. Their latest team superstar, Satou Sabally, didn’t even play on Saturday, and even then, the team looked daunting. With so many quality players, it also opened an array of offensive options for the Liberty.

If you look at the game’s box score, you can clearly see that the team amplified its offense from every position on the court. Gardner, who plays in the perimeter, scored 11, Stewart, who plays in the frontcourt, had 18, while Han Xu, who largely plays as a center, had 20 in her first game in the league since 2023. Jones recalled this exact same sentiment in her press conference.

“The offense flowed really well for us,” Jones said. “It felt good being out there and understanding where we’re supposed to be offensively. … So I think we just go up from here.”

Yet despite this stellar performance, the NY Liberty faced a tough 18-point reckoning. They struggled a bit from the three-point line, shooting just over 33%, and with ball security, where they turned the ball over 22 times. But preseason games are never about results. It’s about game time, and they flex their muscles a bit. With players like Sabally returning and Ionescu and Jones getting in their scoring spree, the Liberty will be the team to beat going into the season.

On the other hand, the Indiana Fever clicked as well on the night despite missing several key players in Aliyah Boston and Lexie Hull. Kelsey Mitchell was the star of the show and finished with 18 points on the night. Shatori Walker-Kimbrough also matched Mitchell’s team-high 18 from the bench, while Sophie Cunningham added a substantial 13 points.

Raven Johnson played her part as well in the game, recording 6 points, 8 assists, and 3 rebounds in her 18-minute stay on the court. Caitlin Clark played just over 16 minutes against the Liberty, recording 7 points, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds. Although it wasn’t quite a perfect start for Clark amid her return, she did manage to impress the team’s coaching staff.

Fever Head Coach Stephanie White in Praise of Caitlin Clark Despite an Unlikely Night

The Indiana Fever might have cinched a huge win over the NY Liberty in this preseason, but by no means was the protagonist Caitlin Clark. While many thought CC would get into her dancing shoes right away, considering her MVP-level performance for Team USA at the World Cup qualifiers in Puerto Rico, the reality didn’t suit those expectations.

CC tipped off her game efficiently with two successful shots, accounting for five points. But following that, Clark missed her next 8 shots and finished the night with 2-10 from the field. Now, these are numbers that you neither expect nor do you see often under Clark’s belt, raising an eyebrow instantly. Yet despite that, Fever head coach Stephanie White isn’t sounding the alarm bells.

“I thought she was good,” White said. “We play differently when she’s on the floor. And so [we are] learning how to play with her in the action. I thought she didn’t force anything. She played with great intention, and everything that she did was in the flow. She was communicating at a high level.”

It is clear from White’s assessment that Clark fit into the leadership role quite well, working as the floor general, which White considers quite impressive. The Fever head coach also specifically shed light on Clark’s poor shooting night, noting that the approach to shooting is very different in the WNBA compared to the international level.

“If we’re talking about the shot making, that’s going to comem” White added. “They play her differently in the [WNBA] than they do in international basketball. We’ve just got to find ways to free her up to get her some easy looks.”

Now, of course, there’s no doubt that it’s just a matter of days before Caitlin Clark gets back to her groove. Coming back to the W after a prolonged absence, of course, takes its toll a bit initially. And this dismal shooting night must be the impact of those initial struggles.

The Fever guard still has another shot to take a glance at her shooting before their regular season tips off. They have a second preseason game against the Dallas Wings, led by Paige Bueckers, on April 30.