Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark returned from her quad injury on Saturday against the New York Liberty, and let's just say she did not look the slightest bit rusty.
Clark scored 14 points in the first quarter at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., and the majority of them came with under two minutes remaining. Clark pulled up and drained a three-pointer from 33 feet out with 1:26 remaining in the first quarter, and that was just the start of a mini-explosion.
Clark made three three-pointers in a span of about 44 seconds.
Caitlin Clark just scored 9 points in less than 45 seconds pic.twitter.com/SWBk9PhI4g
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) June 14, 2025
Indiana trailed 21-15 before Clark hit her three-pointer with 1:26 remaining in the quarter. The game was tied less than a minute later.
Clark was sidelined for five games with the quad injury. The Fever went 2-3 in those games. Clark entered Saturday leading Indiana with 19 points and 9.3 assists per game.
The 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year, Clark is known for being able to hit shots from just about anywhere on the court. She wasted very little time doing just that in her return to action on Saturday.
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The Los Angeles Sparks are the WNBA's hottest team, and a recent injury update could mean they won't cool down anytime soon. Forward Cameron Brink, the team's first-round pick (No. 2 overall) of the 2024 WNBA Draft, is set for her return after suffering an ACL tear in June 2024. Brink is expected to play on Tuesday, when the Sparks host the Las Vegas Aces (13-13). Last season, Brink started 15 games before being injured and quickly established herself as a defensive force, averaging 2.3 blocks and 1.1 steals while adding 7.5 points per game. Per Stathead, Brink is one of seven players in WNBA history to average at least two blocks and one assist per game in their first season and the first since 2008, when both Sylvia Fowles and Candace Parker accomplished the feat. With Brink slated to return to the Sparks rotation, Los Angeles could be in better shape to keep up its positive momentum. The Sparks (11-14) have won five consecutive games, the longest active win streak in WNBA. On Saturday, they defeated the New York Liberty (17-7), 101-99, on a Rickea Jackson buzzer-beater. Los Angeles is only a game behind the Washington Mystics (12-13) for the league's final playoff spot, and Brink could help erase the gap completely. The Sparks have struggled defensively this season, allowing the league's second-most points per game (87.3) and ranking 11th in defensive rating (109.9). (h/t Basketball Reference) Those shortcomings have negated the team's offensive success. Los Angeles ranks third in scoring (85 points per game) and second in pace. It holds the league's top three-point shooting percentage (35.7%) and second-best shooting percentage overall (45.8%). With better defensive effort, which Brink should provide, the already-hot Sparks could soon ignite.
There have been a couple of different theories floated about why the Las Vegas Raiders made the shocking decision to cut star defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, but head coach Pete Carroll has no interest in sharing the real motive. The Raiders released Wilkins on Thursday, which was barely a year after they signed him to a four-year, $110M contract in free agency. Initial reports suggested Wilkins and the team were at odds over how the 29-year-old's foot injury was being handled, but the story has since taken a bizarre turn. ESPN's Adam Schefter said on Monday that there was an incident between Wilkins and a teammate in the locker room that Wilkins viewed as playful, but his teammate did not take it that way. Tashan Reed of The Athletic reported that the incident took place in a meeting room at the Raiders' facility last week and was investigated by the team's human resources department. On Tuesday, a reporter asked Carroll about the alleged incident. The 73-year-old coach refused to get into it. "I have no comment to make,” Carroll said, via The Athletic. “We made a decision on what we’re doing, and we’re moving with it. We’ll see how that all unveils itself in time.” The last part of Carroll's comment is interesting. Carroll may have been saying time will tell how the decision to cut Wilkins will turn out for the Raiders, or he may have been insinuating that more information will come out at some point. Raiders defensive tackle Adam Nelson was also asked about Wilkins on Tuesday. Nelson responded by encouraging people to seek therapy if they are struggling with something in their life. Wilkins had 17 total tackles and a pair of sacks in five games with the Raiders before he suffered his season-ending foot injury.
Kirk Cousins might be relegated to the job of backup quarterback, but he is showing veteran leadership to his Atlanta Falcons teammates. Following Sunday's practice, Cousins pulled aside rookie defensive end James Pearce to encourage the first-round pick after his fourth practice in the league at Flowery Branch, Georgia. "QB Kirk Cousins pulled aside Pearce after practice to compliment him on a pass batted down," wrote Marc Raimondi of ESPN. Cousins reportedly had a solid day of practice on Sunday, going 7-of-12 passing against the first-team unit. If Cousins wants out of Atlanta, he's not showing it at practice. The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback is competing on the field and being a good teammate around the facility. Cousins' actions on the field backed up what Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot praised Cousins for before the team's practice on Sunday. “Outside, it's a lot more of a deal than it is in the building,” Fontenot said to the media about the idea of friction between the Falcons and Cousins, per video from D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “He shows up, he does his job, just like anybody ... We've gotta build the best 70-man roster so we can go win games. "That's what we're focused on, and Kirk, just like all the other players, is focused on coming in here and doing their job. That's what he's been doing." Fontenot didn't dismiss the idea that Atlanta would trade Cousins before the season. He said the Falcons will do whatever it takes to make the team better, but stressed that Cousins has been a professional throughout the process of being replaced by Michael Penix Jr., a first-round pick from the 2024 draft. “In terms of making moves, whether it's trades or acquiring players, we're always looking at those factors," Fontenot said. "We're gonna do whatever we can do to make this team the best it can possibly be. But he's been a great professional, and he's handled himself well.” Cousins is coming to work in a manner that will make another owner want to take a chance on the veteran quarterback. That could be one of his best-selling points before he plays in his 13th season in the league.
Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones was a virtual nonfactor against the Packers last season, but Green Bay may be seeing a little less of the veteran back in the pair of meetings against their NFC North rivals this season. In two games against the Packers, Jones rushed for 140 yards but failed to reach the end zone in either game, as the Vikings swept the season series against Green Bay. However, there’s a chance Jones may already have been supplanted in Minnesota’s backfield. Ex-Packers RB Aaron Jones Splitting Reps with Jordan Mason Early in Vikings training camp, Jones might be losing his grip on Minnesota’s No. 1 running back role. Multiple reports say Jones is splitting carries with Vikings newcomer Jordan Mason, who Minnesota acquired in an offseason trade with the San Francisco 49ers. “The news is noteworthy but not particularly surprising,” Ryan Smith points out for Pro Football Focus. “Given that the team traded for Mason in March and then signed him to a two-year, $7 million fully guaranteed deal that could reach up to $12 million. Seifert believes that Mason and former Pro Bowler Aaron Jones will have a near 50-50 split in terms of playing time this season. “Last year, both Jones (76.5 PFF rushing grade) and Mason (76.1) ranked among the top 20 running backs in the league in PFF rushing grade. Jones has shown the ability to be a more dangerous threat through the air, as evidenced by his 70.6 PFF receiving grade last year and nearly 2,500 career receiving yards and 20 touchdowns.” Jones, in his first season with the Vikings, rushed for a career-high 1,138 yards and five touchdowns. If Minnesota takes a backfield by committee approach, it could bring out the best in both backs, after Jones was the Vikings’ lead-dog in 2024 and Mason wound up emerging as an explosive option in San Francisco after Christian McCaffrey’s season-ending injuries.
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