Three takeaways from Caitlin Clark's third WNBA game

Caitlin Clark and the Fever played their third game of the season on Saturday afternoon against the New York Liberty.

Here are three takeaways from the Fever's 91-80 loss.

Liberty are a freight train

New York looks like a team on a mission. The Liberty are coming off a WNBA Finals loss to the Aces and have five finals appearances without a championship banner in their history, giving them as much motivation as they have talent in 2024. Last year's MVP, Breanna Stewart, led the team with 24 points on Saturday, and all five starters finished in double figures. 

Forward Jonquel Jones had a game-high 12 rebounds, and guard Sabrina Ionescu added a team-high four made threes, while the bench chipped in with 18 points. ESPN's Holly Rowe interviewed the entire team at halfcourt following the game, and play-by-play commentator Ryan Ruocco joked that it resembled an impromptu trophy celebration. Who knows? It could foreshadow what's to come later this year.

Caitlin Clark improves, but turnovers remain an issue

Per Across The Timeline, Clark's 51 points are the most by a player in their first three WNBA games since Ionescu's 55 points in 2020 and tied for the 18th most all-time. She also joined all-time great Candace Parker as the only rookie with at least 50 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds in their first three games.

It speaks to Clark's talent that she's only scratching the surface of what she's capable of in the WNBA despite already putting herself in impressive company. Clark had eight turnovers in the loss, giving her 21 on the season, the most in WNBA history for a player in her first three games. Being the primary ball-handler on a fast-paced team, Clark should be expected to rack up her fair share of turnovers. But seven turnovers per game are far too much and the most glaring issue for an otherwise-promising start to her career.

Fever's defense needs a lot of work

Indiana's two main pieces, Clark and forward Aliyah Boston, give the franchise a bright future, but for the Fever to take the next step, their defense must vastly improve. Through three games, Indiana has allowed 95 points per game, with opponents shooting 47.6 percent, including 40 percent from deep. The Fever are last in the league in scoring defense and need to start asserting themselves on that end, not only to get easier shots on offense but also to relieve pressure from needing to score on every possession down the court.