Fever vs. Liberty preseason takeaways: First looks at Caitlin Clark, New York’s bigs

As Clark enters her third season in the WNBA, the anticipation might rival that of her rookie year, con

It’s been almost 10 months since Caitlin Clark last suited up for the Indiana Fever. Clark made her long-awaited return Saturday against the New York Liberty in both teams’ first preseason games of the year, with the Fever notching a 109-91 win. The 2024 rookie of the year played just 13 games during her sophomore season as she navigated injuries before officially being shut down in September.

As Clark enters her third season in the WNBA, the anticipation might rival that of her rookie year, considering her lengthy absence. All 44 of the Fever’s games will be national broadcasts. The Fever and Liberty both have continuity on their side, with their cores remaining intact year over year.

For the Fever, that meant re-signing guard Kelsey Mitchell to solidify their big three, which includes Clark and Aliyah Boston. The Liberty, meanwhile, re-signed Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones. They all asserted that it was always their plan to return to the Liberty and extend the team’s championship window.