Caitlin Clark addressed the WNBA's new officiating emphasis in her first game since July, after the Fever's 107-104 season-opening loss to the Wings.
Caitlin Clark scored 20 points and addressed the new officiating emphasis in her first WNBA game since July, in the Indiana Fever's 107-104 season-opening loss to the Dallas Wings on Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. She shot 7-of-18 from the field, 2-of-9 from 3-point range, and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line.
The Fever outscored the Wings 62-44 in the paint. Indiana made 31 of 46 attempts inside the arc. Clark added 7 assists and 5 rebounds.
Clark said attacking the basket was a point of emphasis in her first game back.
"Absolutely," Clark said. "Especially with the way the game is being officiated this year, I felt like I probably could've gotten a couple more calls too. Getting my feet in the paint forces defenses into rotation and creates opportunities for teammates. I think I lost a little of that burst last year while dealing with injury, so regaining that was a priority for me, and I felt like I did that well tonight."
Clark missed the second half of the 2025 WNBA season with a series of injuries. She played five games for Team USA in March and entered the regular-season opener after a full Fever training camp.
Asked about the league's officiating emphasis on freedom of movement, Fever head coach Stephanie White said it was what the team wanted entering the season.
"This is what we wanted in terms of officiating emphasis and freedom of movement," White said. "We asked officials all offseason to call everything. Now, the next step is consistency. But this is necessary to clean up some of the things we saw last year. There's going to be frustration early, but it's part of the process."
The Fever shot 17-of-21 from the free-throw line. The Wings shot 17-of-24. Both teams generated transition offense, with Dallas scoring 25 fast-break points to Indiana's 12.
Clark also offered a wider view of the loss.
"There's a lot to be proud of and a lot to learn from," Clark said. "It's only one game out of 44."
Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever with 30 points. Aliyah Boston added 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting. The Fever (0-1) visit the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena.
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