INDIANAPOLIS — It had been 291 days since Caitlin Clark played in a home game for the Indiana Fever. The 2024 No. 1 pick was limited to 13 games, including eight home games, last year amid an injury-riddled campaign. On Thursday night, however, Clark received a long-awaited applause from the Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd during pregame warmups as the Fever prepared to host the Dallas Wings in their second preseason game.
The home fans got even louder when Clark scored the Fever’s first bucket on a driving layup and followed that with a long 3-pointer. But her night was cut short after she was fouled on a 3-pointer and banged her knee “really hard” on the court. Clark finished with 21 points in 16 minutes as the Wings pulled away for a 95-80 victory.
Caitlin Clark leaves early
Clark exited Thursday’s preseason game in the third quarter after being fouled on a 3-pointer. The two-time All-Star launched one of her signature stepback jumpers over Dallas forward and reigning co-Defensive Player of the Year Alanna Smith, but when Clark came down, she landed on Smith’s foot and fell awkwardly. Clark rolled over in pain before getting up and limping toward her teammates and coaches, who had gathered near the Fever’s bench.
Clark said after the game that she felt “good” and explained that she “just landed on my kneecap really hard.”
#Fever star Caitlin Clark says she just banged her knee really hard when she went down in the third quarter after being fouled on a 3-pointer. A huge sigh of relief for the Fever.
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) May 1, 2026
The officials reviewed the play, and Smith was assessed a flagrant foul for not giving Clark enough room to land safely after her jump shot. Clark made two of her three ensuing free throws before exiting the game at the 7:51 mark of the third quarter.
“I thought the refs did a really good job (Thursday),” Clark said. “That’s kind of been their focus going into the season. I know there was a committee of people that really wanted them to start calling things. … I thought they did a good job both ways.”
The Fever’s training staff briefly examined Clark while she was on the bench, but she did not go back to the locker room. The third-year pro was 4-of-6 shooting from the field and drained 11 of 13 free-throw attempts. She also dished out four assists and grabbed two rebounds.
Fever coach Stephanie White said the plan all along was for Clark to leave the game early in the third quarter, and it was an “extra precaution” to keep her sidelined after she banged her knee.
“Certainly, a sigh of relief, but you can kind of see (the severity of the injury) in her face sometimes,” White said. “It was like, ‘All right, she took (a hard foul).’ But sometimes when you come back from injury, depending on what the injury is, you gotta feel that a little bit first, right? You gotta be like, ‘OK, yeah, I can shake that one off. Let’s go out there and knock down the free throws.’
Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark went down in the second half after landing on Alanna Smith’s foot. (Justin Casterline / Getty Images)
Azzi Fudd makes pro debut
Fudd, the 2026 No. 1 pick, made her pro debut. The former UConn star drained her first shot attempt, a midrange jumper over Clark in the first quarter, but she struggled to find a rhythm. Fudd finished with 4 points on 2-of-7 shooting, missing both of her 3-point attempts, in 16 minutes.
Paige Bueckers scored Dallas’ first points on a wing 3-pointer, and it was a sign of things to come. The 2025 No. 1 pick and Rookie of the Year led the way for the Wings with 20 points in 20 minutes. She shot 8 of 12 from the field, draining four 3s, and had three assists and two rebounds.
Maddy Siegrist and Aziaha James chipped in with 18 and 17 points, respectively, as Dallas shot 51 percent from the field. The Wings led by as many as 23 points.
Raven Johnson continues to impress
Fever rookie Johnson followed her preseason debut, a 6-point, eight-assist outing against the Liberty on Saturday, with another strong performance Thursday. The No. 10 pick stuffed the stat sheet against Dallas with 3 points, five assists, five steals and one rebound in 21 minutes off the bench.
Johnson has continually praised Clark for helping her transition to the WNBA, and the former college rivals have started to build a close bond. After squaring off in back-to-back Final Four appearances in 2023 and 2024, when Johnson and Clark starred at South Carolina and Iowa, respectively, Johnson said it was easy to quickly turn their attention toward a common goal.
“When I put the Indiana Fever jersey on, I said, ‘Let’s try to win a championship together,’” Johnson said pregame, reciting a conversation she had with Clark. “I think with her, that’s all she talks about is winning.”
#Fever rookie Raven Johnson on her bond with Caitlin Clark:
“She’s loving. She’s a goofy person. I think a lot of people don’t really know her outside of basketball. …”
“When I put the Indiana Fever jersey on, I said, ‘Let’s try to win a championship together.’ …” pic.twitter.com/mPmp9VbHwQ
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) April 30, 2026
Clark and White commended Johnson for her steadiness and relentless effort as the Fever’s backup point guard through two preseason games. White specifically noted a play in the first quarter against Dallas in which Johnson threw an ill-advised pass that was stolen by Wings forward Alysha Clark. Instead of giving up, Johnson stole the ball right back from Clark and threw it ahead to Fever forward Makayla Timpson for a layup.
“She’s gonna be a hard one to (keep on the bench),” White said. “We gotta find minutes for her, and we gotta find minutes for her in a good rotation.”
