Caitlin Clark's wakeup call: Indiana Fever 新人 struggles in 92-71 loss to the Connecticut Sun in her WNBA debut as she commits TEN turnovers and 収容する／認めるs 'that's not gonna get the 職業 done'

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The 国家の スポットライト that Caitlin Clark has 占領するd for the last year 燃やすd as 有望な as ever for her WNBA debut on Tuesday night in Connecticut. Celebrity fans, another sellout （人が）群がる, and a 国家の television audience that's 推定する／予想するd to 競争相手 the NBA プレーオフs were all fixated on the Indiana Fever 新人 and first-全体にわたる 選ぶ.

Only for the first time in 最近の memory, Clark ― who helped bring women's basketball into the mainstream during her 記録，記録的な／記録する-setting college career at Iowa― failed to 配達する.?

She didn't drain any of her 署名 3-pointers from the 中央の-法廷，裁判所 logo and failed to make an 衝撃 as a playmaker in the 92-71 loss to the Connecticut Sun. Even when things did go her way, like when she すりd Connecticut's DiJonai Carrington 中途の through the third period, Clark followed with a bad pass that was easily stolen by the Sun 今後 Brionna Jones.??

Her parents, Brent and Anne Clark, appeared visibly distraught on the Mohegan Sun 円形競技場 scoreboard after seeing their daughter whistled for traveling ― one of her 10 高くつく／犠牲の大きい turnovers in the game.?

Clark's night was 最終的に encapsulated by a wide-open 3-point 試みる／企てる that clanked harmlessly off the 縁 in the game's final minutes, 効果的に ending any hope of a 復帰. In the end, Clark had 20 points, but made only 5 of 15 field goals while finishing with a mere three 補助装置s.?

'I just had too many turnovers,' Clark told reporters afterwards. 'That's not gonna get the 職業 done.'?

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) 反応するs during the first ４半期/4分の1 of her WNBA debut?

When asked for the biggest surprise of her first WNBA 正規の／正選手-season contest, Clark pointed to the 'physicality' of the game before returning to the 失望させるing topic of the team's 25 turnovers.?

'Some uncharacteristic stuff like 選ぶing up the ball and travel, I dribble off my foot, I pass it on the inbound and turn it over,' she said. 'Just a few things. You have to be crisper. Those are 状況／情勢s where you’re just giving the other team the ball. I think collectively, 25 turnovers is going to make it really hard for us to 勝利，勝つ.'

The day began with much more 楽観主義 as the visibly excited 22-year-old grew impatient for tip-off.

'I just want to get out there and play,' she laughed during her pregame 圧力（をかける） 会議／協議会, later admitting that 'this is definitely up there with some of the best moments of my life.'

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And at first ちらりと見ること, the プロの／賛成のs looked to be every bit as 平易な as college ball had been for Clark, who received the biggest （人が）群がる 返答 of any player on either team during pregame introductions.

She took the 開始 tip from Aliyah Boston and, after some nifty 作戦行動ing around the Sun 弁護, returned the ball to her チーム仲間 for an 平易な bucket and her first 補助装置 as a プロの／賛成の.

But Clark's 移行 to the WNBA quickly became more difficult over the next few minutes as she 行方不明になるd her first three 発射s, committed two 議論の的になる fouls, and soon 設立する herself on the （法廷の）裁判 for all but the final seconds of the first ４半期/4分の1.

And things didn't get any easier when she did return to the 床に打ち倒す, 大部分は 予定 to the 窒息させるing 弁護 of 6-foot-4 All-星／主役にする DeWanna Bonner and Carrington, the latter of whom robbed Clark at 中央の 法廷，裁判所 for an 平易な 急速な／放蕩な-break layup.

'DiJonai is an 運動競技の guard,' Fever coach Christie 味方するs told reporters after 落ちるing to 0-1 on the year. 'They had a game 計画（する） against her. It's just gonna take some time for her to 人物／姿／数字 that 速度(を上げる） and quickness and physicality out.'?

Clark broke through 中途の through the second when stole a bad pass, 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金d up 法廷，裁判所 and 簡潔に paused at the 3-point arc, 原因（となる）ing defenders to stop in their 跡をつけるs, before continuing to the basket for a contested layup.

It may have come a bit later than she had hoped, but Clark's first WNBA basket 現実に went によれば 計画（する）.

'What I've thought about is like, it would be nice to get a layup as my first basket and why not get a high 百分率 two?' she asked reporters rhetorically during her pregame 圧力（をかける） 会議／協議会.

She'd have to wait until the final minute of the first half for her first 3-pointer, and only after 行方不明の her first three 試みる／企てるs from beyond the arc, 含むing one look from the logo.

Caitlin Clark (22) walks 負かす／撃墜する the 法廷，裁判所 after a turnover against the Connecticut Sun

Her disappointing debut aside, Clark's 衝撃 has already been felt across the WNBA, where Fever games have become one of the hottest tickets in American sports. In fact, Tuesday's game was the Connecticut Sun's first 開始-night sellout since 2003 as throngs of fans in Fever and Iowa Hawkeyes apparel packed into the casino's 9,000-seat 円形競技場 ― a 発生地 that 普通の／平均（する）d just over 6,000 fans a game last season.?

And on the 第２位 market, where tickets are resold for many times their 額面価格, some paid thousands to see the Des Moines native play in her first 正規の／正選手-season game. The median price was even around $230.?

Attendees 含むd New England 愛国者s players, 伝説の Connecticut basketball coach Geno Auriemma (who famously neglected to 新採用する Clark) 同様に as former Huskies 星／主役にする Jenniffer Rizotti, while the Ying Yang twins 供給するd the halftime entertainment.

Of course, that sort of thing is nothing new for Clark, who has been playing in 前線 of big 指名するs and sellout （人が）群がるs while attracting 記録，記録的な／記録する television audiences throughout her college career at Iowa.

Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington (21) fouls Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark

And in that 尊敬（する）・点, it's the WNBA that needs to adjust to Clark, and not the other way around. She and Boston, a former South Carolina 星／主役にする and No. 1 草案 選ぶ in her own 権利, have been playing in 前線 of 国家の audiences since they were 十代の少年少女s, while the WNBA was fighting to 誘惑する college fans to the プロの／賛成のs.

'They've been part of those college teams that have those 肉親，親類d of （人が）群がるs every night,' 味方するs said before the game. 'So it's probably not something too different for them, but in this 円形競技場 and for the WNBA to have these sellout （人が）群がるs, it's just something we never experienced and it's so exciting.'

類似して, last month's WNBA 草案 in Brooklyn was the most watched in league history, and there are other encouraging metrics 同様に.

For instance, Tuesday's Fever-Sun opener was wagered on more than any game in WNBA history, によれば BetOnline.ag. What's more, the total 扱う (量 wagered) is 推定する／予想するd to 越える that of the Indiana Pacers' プレーオフ game with the New York Knicks on Tuesday night.

Even Barstool Sports 創立者 Dave Portnoy put $25,000 on the Fever covering the eight-point spread against the 好意d Sun on Tuesday - a bet he would 最終的に lose.?

Indiana Fever 今後 Aliyah Boston turns to shoot as Connecticut's Brionna Jones defends

Clark did lead the Fever in 得点する／非難する／２０ing on Tuesday, but that was hardly by design.?

事前の to the game, she 認める there's いっそう少なく 圧力 to 得点する／非難する／２０ in the WNBA because she's surrounded with such talented チーム仲間s. Clark even held out hope that she wouldn't have to carry the 得点する／非難する／２０ing 負担 as she did at Iowa, where she 始める，決める the NCAA 記録，記録的な／記録する for points.?

'I mean, hey, that would be 広大な／多数の／重要な,' she said.?

'I think my time in college it was like I had to do that for my team and I think now 存在 on the professional level, it's like seeing how I can 衝撃 the game,' she said when asked to explain her 移行 from the college game to the プロの／賛成のs.?

'Maybe it's not an 補助装置 or it's not a basket.'

But by the end of Tuesday's loss, that comment was starting to look like wishful thinking.?

The Fever, a WNBA 底（に届く） feeder in 最近の years, need Clark to 得点する／非難する／２０ and dish like she did for the Hawkeyes. And while she may only be one game into her career, the clock is already ticking on this season.?

'The biggest thing is just to learn from it and move on,' Clark 結論するd. 'Things are gonna come 急速な／放蕩な. There's 39 games left, and plenty of 適切な時期s left to do what we want to do.'

Clark makes her home debut against the New York Liberty in Indianapolis on Thursday night.?