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Caitlin Clark looks healthy as Fever cruise past Nigeria ahead of May 9 opener vs Wings

Video WNBA champion opens up on Caitlin Clark's impact on the league Seattle Storm player Lexie Brown spoke about how the WNBA has changed since Caitlin Clark's debut in 2024.

Indiana Fever superstar guard Caitlin Clark appears ready to go for the regular season after scoring 12 points in 13 minutes on Saturday night against the Nigerian National Team.

Clark had an injury scare in Thursday's preseason game against the Dallas Wings, but did not appear on the injury report prior to Saturday's match and played the second-most minutes of any starter in the team's blowout 105-57 win.

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Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever dribbles the ball upcourt against the Nigeria National Team during the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, on May 2, 2026. (Bobby Goddin/Getty Images)

Clark shot 3-for-4 from the field (2-for-3 from three-point range) and added 4 assists, 2 rebounds and 1 steal.

Clark struggled in the team's first preseason game against the New York Liberty on April 25, after returning from an injury that cost her most of the 2025 WNBA season. She shot just 2-for-10 from the field and scored 7 points.

But she bounced back on Thursday against Dallas prior to the injury, scoring 21 points in 16 minutes. Over her final two preseason games, Clark scored 33 points in 29 minutes on 7-for-10 FG, including 4-for-6 from three-point range.

The Fever open the regular season with a highly anticipated matchup against Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings on May 9 in a game that features the past four No. 1 overall picks in the WNBA Draft. Clark was the No. 1 overall pick in 2024, Fever teammate Aliyah Boston went with the first selection in 2023 and the Wings have the past two No. 1 picks (Bueckers in 2025 and Azzi Fudd in 2026).

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Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark plays during the first half against the New York Liberty at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on Apr. 25, 2026. (John Jones/Imagn Images)

Boston, Clark and Bueckers each won the league's Rookie of the Year in their respective freshman seasons, a trend Fudd is trying to extend this season. Each of the past four No. 1 overall picks has won Rookie of the Year, dating back to 2022 top pick Rhyne Howard.

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Injuries derailed Clark's sophomore season, limiting her to just 13 games in 2025. Saturday's opener against the Wings will be Clark's first regular-season game since last July and her absence was a tough blow for the WNBA, which counts on Clark's popularity to drive television ratings and overall interest in the league.

The WNBA should be ecstatic to have Clark back, evidenced by the announcement that all 44 Fever games are set to be broadcast on national television.

Expect a lot of attention to be paid to Saturday's game in Indianapolis.

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