It was a sterling WNBA debut for Caitlin Clark, but in the end, it was Arike Ogunbowale’s night.
The sixth-year WNBA guard hit a crossover, step-back 3 with three seconds to go — Clark’s signature move for years at Iowa — to give Dallas a three-point lead, and Clark’s three at the buzzer fell short, giving the Wings the 79-76 win over the Indiana Fever in the preseason opener for each team.
Ogunbowale has a history of big-time shot making: She hit game-winning, buzzer-beating 3s in back-to-back games at the 2018 Final Four to lead Notre Dame to the NCAA championship.
Ogunbowale finished Friday night’s contest with 19 points. The game-winner was her only made 3-pointer of the night.
It was maybe the most anticipated preseason game in the 28-year history of the WNBA, with people all over tuning into see what Clark would do at the next level. Early on, she put on a show.
Clark scored 21 points in her first-ever pro game, including 16 in the first half. Clark finished with a solid stat line with three rebounds, two assists and two steals, but there’s no question she’ll be kicking herself about her five turnovers.
Jaelyn Brown, a 2020 Cal grad who went undrafted and has spent the last few years playing overseas, led the Wings with 21 points on 7-of-15 shooting. For the Fever, NaLyssa Smith scored 20, and Erica Wheeler chipped in 16.
‘You couldn’t ask for a better game’: Caitlin Clark revels in her WNBA debut
Caitlin Clark has been anticipating Friday night for a long,…
