Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Warriors Boost Valkyries After Making Caitlin Clark History

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sean Deveney | Last updated Jun 20, 2025 8:35 AM ET

There were good vibes in the Bay Area on Thursday as Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever, on a hot streak with four wins and five games, went into the Chase Center and found a scrappy Valkyries expansion team that has established itself quickly in the WNBA thanks to a stifling defense and an overall disciplined approach.

The Valkyries won the game, 88-77, and wore down Clark, holding her to just 3-for-14 shooting and 0-for-7 from the field, marking only the second time in her career--college or professional--that Clark has been held without a 3-pointer in a game.

That covers 139 collegiate games and 47 pro games. It's a rare feat, as the only other time Clark was held without a 3-pointer came back on May 22 against Atlanta.

The Golden State Warriors, who share a building and an ownership group with the Valkyries, chimed in after the game, reporting the Valkyries winning announcement.

"DUB," wrote the Dubs, with a photo of Carla Leite, who finished with eight points and four assists in the game.

DUB @valkyries https://t.co/wJLKPo3ewK
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) June 20, 2025

In all, the Valkyries had five scorers in double figures, and outscored the Fever, 33-18 in the final period. Clark had 11 points and nine assists but also six turnovers.

Valkyries star Tiffany Hayes, who scored 14 points with five assists and a steal, explained after the game how the Valkyries held off Clark: "Coach (Natalie Nakase) gave us a great gameplan. We knew we had to stay up on her. We knew she’s a three-level scorer. I think it was a great team defensive game today, everybody was locked in making sure she didn’t get any easy looks.”

Clark was just 1-for-4 in the decisive fourth quarter. The Valkyries are now 6-6 on the season, and have won four of their last five games after a four-game losing streak.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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