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All eyes were on Caitlin Clark Wednesday night as she returned from an injury in a road game in Los Angeles.
But instead of a triumphant comeback, the Fever spent the night chasing the Sparks as Clark’s gritty return fueled a 106-92 rout.
The superstar never found a groove and looked completely out of sync as she returned from a back injury.
STEPHANIE WHITE GIVES CAITLIN CLARK STATUS UPDATE AHEAD OF FEVER SPARKS, BUT HER NEXT MOVE RAISES QUESTIONS
Caitlin Clark shares with teammates as the Indiana Fever battle the Sparks. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) ((Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images))
Much of the disjointed performance falls squarely on head coach Stephanie White, who kept Clark on a ridiculously tight leash by limiting her to just 16 minutes. The stop-and-go approach could have sabotaged any chance for the phenomenon to establish a rhythm.
Clark finished with just 9 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Her minus-16 plus-minus told the story.
The Los Angeles Sparks were seriously shorthanded and took the floor without stars Kelsey Plum and Cameron Brink.
MERCURY’S NOW DELETED SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS MOIDING CAITLIN CLARK TAKES INVESTIGATION INTO STAR’S INJURY
But while a depleted Sparks roster played to win, Indiana spent the night overrunning its biggest asset.
With Clark on a minute restriction and Aliyah Boston out of the lineup, Kelsey Mitchell was forced to carry the entire offensive load.
Mitchell did his part by recording 29 points while shooting 5-of-9 from beyond the arc.
Caitlin Clark orchestrates the Fever offense as Indiana battles the Los Angeles Sparks in prime time. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) ((Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images))
But one hot hand couldn’t stop an efficient LA team.
The Sparks shot 45% from three-point range and went 9-of-20 from deep to cruise to the 106-92 win.
White’s next move is to put Clark against the Mercury on Thursday as Boston bounces back.
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After Wednesday’s loss to a shorthanded Sparks team, it’s fair to question whether Indiana’s cautious approach is working. The fever fell to 12-9.
Caitlin Clark and Dearica Hamby face off as Fever and Sparks battle it out 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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