This had to be the redemption game. All the fans sighed while they rested their hopes on Caitlin Clark. The New York Liberty were clashing with the Indiana Fever for the fourth time in this WNBA season and had defeated them in all the previous three games. But things were to change in this match. The Indiana Fever had an excellent start which brought a feeling of joy among their fans. It looked as if Clark would show her star power along with Aliyah Boston. The stage was set.

In the first quarter, the Fever led by a 24-18 margin. But the Liberty didn’t lose their courage and instead fought hard. The Liberty won the second quarter by a 20-15 tally. Even then Indiana was ahead by a singular point as the scoreboard read 39-38. However, it was the third quarter that many believe could have led to Indiana’s defeat. Seeing this, sports journalist Skip Bayless had something to add.

Skip Bayless blames Caitlin Clark despite Indiana’s win

Notably, Clark couldn’t score even a single point in the third quarter. She took two three-pointer shots and failed miserably at both of them. And her missing three-pointers were a signal that the Fever were in trouble. As per Bayless, this was the most important turning point in the game. The Liberty notably, scored 24 points as opposed to Indiana’s 16. Bayless in the aftermath took to the social media networking platform X to post his views.

It was the third quarter that almost overshadowed her achievement. For the record, Clark became the first WNBA rookie to record a triple-double – something she was good at even when she was in college. But the moment was overshadowed by the tension of who would have the last laugh. And it was Clark ultimately who proved her mettle.

Eventually, Clark’s triple-double did the magic. She added 19 points with 13 assists and 12 rebounds. All this worked in Clark’s favor as the Fever hit 28 points as compared to the Liberty’s 16 in the fourth quarter, winning the game by an 83-78 stat. Therefore, Clark demonstrated that even though many had written her off, she was not the one who could be defeated so easily. She was a big match player, and it came through well.

Caitlin Clark is now leading the pack

Clark came to the Indiana Fever as a rookie this year. Nonetheless, she has become one of their main stars along with Boston. The 22-year-old has demonstrated that when she plays in a team, she should be given complete freedom and trusted by her teammates. She has once again tied with her highest W’s 13 career assists which proved that she can play both the roles of an alpha and a second fiddle.

Plus, a lot of comparisons were being made with her rival Angel Reese. Celebrated journalists like Stephen A. Smith had come forward to opine that Reese was the frontrunner for the Rookie of the Year award due to her exceptional rebounding skill. But Clark now again shook the critics and displayed that she is no less in rebounding. All this again makes her a favorite for the Rookie of the Year award.

Perhaps, now Indiana has found what works for them. And they will trust Clark more from here onwards and make sure that they let her lead the pack as they did today. In the meantime, Clark can look forward to taking home the Rookie of the Year award ahead of Reese.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.