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There was a lot of anticipation leading up to Saturday's showdown between the Indiana Fever and the New York Liberty. This is after the Fever announced that Caitlin Clark was set to return after a five-game injury absence in Indiana's home matchup against the defending champs.
Clark proved on Saturday that she lives for the big moments. With the spotlights all over her, the 23-year-old turned in her best performance of the campaign. Clark dropped a season-high 32 points on 11-of-20 shooting, while also knocking down seven triples on the evening.
The reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year also registered eight rebounds, nine assists, a steal and a block, as she led the Fever to a massive 102-88 victory against a previously undefeated Liberty side.
After the game, Clark spoke openly about how good her body felt during the game. Clearly, the quad injury that kept her out for the past three weeks was a non-issue against New York.
"My legs felt really strong, I felt in good shape," Clark said, via Michael Voepel of ESPN. "A lot of that is credit to our medical team. They have kept me in shape."
"Now for me, it's just how I recover, especially with the schedule that we have coming up."
Clark revealed that she is currently still on the road to full recovery after missing an extended period. The next couple of weeks will be a tough stretch for Indiana as they play six games in the span of 11 days.
Clark and the Fever's medical team will use the next two days to make sure that Clark is able to recover well ahead of their next game, which is on Tuesday against the Connecticut Sun.
After all, Clark will still need to shake off some of that rust and get her conditioning back up to 100% following a lengthy spell on the sidelines. This is despite the fact that her performance on Saturday night seems to indicate otherwise.
More must-reads:
- Three-time All-Star will be key to Fever weathering troubling Caitlin Clark injury update
- Why as many as 100 NFL players are facing fines and potential suspension
- The 'NBA Summer League MVPs' quiz
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Lexie Hull News Emerges Before Chicago Sky Game
The Indiana Fever are set to face the Chicago Sky in their next matchup, with all eyes in the WNBA community pointed toward the league rivalry. Indiana is coming off a victory against the Las Vegas Aces, looking to maintain a postseason position in head coach Stephanie White's first season back. The Fever sit at 13-12 on the season, ranked No. 6 in the WNBA. Before they look to defeat the Sky in hopes of earning a win streak, notable news on Indiana Fever star Lexie Hull surfaced online. Hull has officially signed an endorsement deal with Portland Gear, a lifestyle bag and apparel company. "I'm excited to share a major milestone for Portland Gear — we’ve officially signed our first WNBA athlete, @lexiehulll, to an endorsement deal! Lexie isn’t just a rising star with the Indiana Fever; she’s a Pacific Northwest native whose values align with everything our brand and city stand for," posted Lexie Hull and the Portland Gear. Hull is playing in her fourth season with the Indiana Fever. The star guard has posted 7.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. While Hull is viewed as a role player for the Fever, largely taking a back seat to players like Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, she's widely regarded as one of the best three-point shooters in the WNBA. The Fever guard has posted a 42.5 field goal percentage and a 43.7 three-point percentage this season. Lexie Hull is having a career season with the Indiana Fever. If the season ended today, each of Hull's major statistical averages would count as her career high. She's also making noise outside of the white lines, proving to be a star for the Fever on and off the court. Indiana will face the Chicago Sky on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.
Athletics' Nick Kurtz makes MLB history vs. Astros
Athletics rookie first baseman Nick Kurtz already had an impressive start to his career. Kurtz entered Friday having posted a .288/.360/.622 batting line in 265 plate appearances, hitting 19 homers and 17 doubles. Despite making his major league debut on April 23, Kurtz has been the A's most valuable player, leading the team with 2.6 bWAR. He appeared to be on the cusp of becoming the superstar the A's needed to sell the team to the residents of Las Vegas. That performance set the stage for what may have been the most impressive game for any rookie in major league history. Kurtz became the 20th player in MLB history to have a four-home run game and the first rookie to achieve that feat. Kurtz's performance also put the 2025 season into baseball history. Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez had a four-home run game on April 26, making this the third time that there have been two four-homer games in a season. That had happened in 2002 (outfielders Mike Cameron and Shawn Green) and 2017 (utility man Scooter Gennett and left fielder J.D. Martinez). Kurtz did not stop with those four homers. He was 6-6 in the A's 15-3 victory over the Astros, with a double and eight runs batted in. The favorite to win the AL Rookie of the Year award, Kurtz put an emphatic stamp on an already impressive season with his barrage on Friday.
Nick Saban responds to speculation about coaching return amid NFL rumors
Shortly after former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback and current college football analyst Greg McElroy shared that someone "in the know" believes there's a possibility Nick Saban — who retired in January 2024 — might return to coaching, NFL insider Albert Breer suggested that the Dallas Cowboys could be a potential destination for the seven-time national champion. According to Mike Rodak of 247Sports, Saban was asked during a Friday appearance on Fox News if he intends to come out of retirement. "No, I'm really happy with what I'm doing right now," Saban responded. "It's exciting to still be involved in the game. It's exciting for me to work with athletic directors, conference commissioners, people in Congress to preserve the integrity of our game and continue to be able to create opportunities to help young people create value for their future that will help them be successful in their life, which is what we always try to do as a coach." Saban, now working as an ESPN analyst, will be 74 in October. Per Christian Datoc of the Washington Examiner, President Donald Trump could consider having Saban "lead a new commission examining problems arising with the growth of name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights and coinciding changes to the NCAA transfer process." Meanwhile, it's thought that Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones could look to hire a big-name candidate if first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer fails to impress during the 2025 campaign. Additionally, Fox Sports personality Colin Cowherd recently hinted that Saban could be interested in becoming the head coach of the Cleveland Browns if the team selects Texas quarterback Arch Manning as the first pick in the 2026 draft. "There is no opportunity that I know of right now that would enhance me to go back to coaching," Saban added during Friday's segment. "I enjoy what I'm doing. I did it for 50 years. I loved it. I loved the relationships with the players. I loved the competition. But it's another station of life now. I enjoy what I'm doing right now and want to continue to do it — spend more time with my family, my grandchildren, my children. It's been really, really good." The "right now" portion of Saban's comments attracted the attention of Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, who was quick to point out he did not say "no for good" regarding a return to coaching. In short, it seems that rumors about Saban's future could hover over the college and pro football communities through at least the rest of the year.
Raiders Releasing Wilkins Was Ultimate Sign of Strength
Pete Carroll and John Spytek definitely laid the law down on Thursday night when veteran defensive tackle Christian Wilkins was released. They sent a message. Take care of your bodies and listen to our medical staff. If not, you will be on the outside looking in. Wilkins made a horrible career and financial decision by not following the Raiders medical team's advice. It could potentially cost him $35.5 million in guaranteed money. Aside from losing his job and a potentially a lot of money, Wilkins is still injured. His chances of signing with another team gets slimmer by the day. Wilkins sent a message to the Raiders by not following medical advice. The Raiders sent a bigger message by releasing him. This spring the Raiders reportedly wanted Wilkins to have a second surgery to remedy the issues with his Jones fracture. It has been reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network that Wilkins did not want to go under the knife one more time. He wanted to let the foot heal with therapy and rehabilitation. The Raiders were having none of that. The team voided his guarantee of $35.5 million on June 4. Wilkins filed a grievance through the NFLPA just prior to his release. It could be ascertained from the statement the team released after Wilkins was given his walking papers they were fed up with him and they wanted to flex their muscles. The tone of the message cut like a knife. Wilkins, once a hot commodity, became a pariah in a little more than a year, “We have decided that it is in the best interest of the organization to move on from Christian Wilkins and he has been informed of his release from the team,” the statement read. “This franchise has a Commitment to Excellence on and off the field. With no clear path or plan for future return to play from Christian, this transaction is necessary for the entire organization to move forward and prepare for the new season.” Carroll was even more succinct when he addressed the media on Friday. He said the team was methodical in reaching its decision and the rearview mirror is very small. There is no looking back. “It took a long time to make our decision,” Carroll said. “I think there was no clear path to his return. So, we just had to move on.” Follow us today on X @HondoCarpenter and IG @HondoSr and weigh in on the situation with Wilkins. Go visit our Facebook page to find our daily content, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.
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