Fever coach shares honest assessment of Caitlin Clark's rough preseason debut

The Indiana Fever didn't find much trouble getting past the New York Liberty with a 109-91 win on Saturday in their preseason debut.

However, Caitlin Clark's highly anticipated return left plenty to be desired. The former No. 1 pick might need more time to shake off the rust after missing most of her second WNBA season with multiple injuries.

Clark scored seven points on 2-of-10 from the floor and 1-of-5 from beyond the arc, adding three boards, four assists and one block in 17 minutes. 

Even so, Fever coach Stephanie White was satisfied with her performance, all things considered. 

Stephen White isn't worried about Caitlin Clark's cold shooting

"She was good. We play differently when she's on the floor, so learning how to play with her in the action, I thought she was good," White said in a postgame conference. "She didn't force anything. She played with great intention in everything that she did. She was in the flow; she was communicating at a high level.

Clark returned to action earlier in the year, earning MVP honors in the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament. That's why White believes it's just a matter of time before she gets her groove back.

"If we're talking about the shot making, that's going to come. They play her differently in the [WNBA] than they do in international basketball. We've just got to find ways to free her up to get her some easy looks," added White.

That said, Clark's shooting efficiency regressed tremendously in her sophomore campaign, shooting just 36.7 percent from the floor and 27.9 percent from beyond the arc, per Basketball Reference.

Clark admitted that she'll have to make some adjustments to her preparation and that she'll need her teammates to step up to get back on track and stay healthy next season.

For now, her next chance to shake off the rust will come on April 30 when the Fever face Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings for their second preseason game.