The Dallas Wings kicked off their regular season in spectacular fashion, setting a new franchise record with 107 points in a 107-104 victory over the host Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Arike Ogunbowale led the Wings with 22 points, while Paige Bueckers and Odyssey Sims each contributed 20. Despite a stellar 30-point effort from Kelsey Mitchell and 20 points from Caitlin Clark, the Fever fell short as both Mitchell and Clark missed potential game-tying three-pointers in the final 10 seconds.
Questions lingered about Caitlin Clark’s health after the game, as she made multiple trips to the locker room during the contest. Fever coach Stephanie White defended her playing time, stating, “We wouldn’t have played her 30 minutes if she wasn’t OK.” Clark explained, “Just getting my back adjusted. It gets out of line pretty quickly.” In the fourth quarter, Clark lacked her usual explosiveness on defense, allowing Odyssey Sims to score a crucial bucket with 35 seconds left that extended Dallas’s lead to five points. Her clean look at a tying three-pointer with roughly six seconds left rimmed out, and Kelsey Mitchell, not Clark, took the final shot at the buzzer. “Started off a little slow, just the anxiety of the first game, trying to work through that,” Clark said. “But overall felt good, felt fast out there. I felt I was a couple buckets away from putting together a really good game and helping us win.”
Simply having Caitlin Clark back on the court marked a significant moment in the league’s 30th anniversary season. Her final stat line—20 points on 7-of-18 shooting, seven assists, and five turnovers—along with the close defeat, created a bittersweet return. “A lot to be proud of,” she said, “and a lot to learn from, too.”
