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Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers matched each other on the scoreboard Friday night. Clark found another way to leave her fingerprints on the Indiana Fever’s 98-87 victory over the Dallas Wings.
With Bueckers attempting to pass out of a double-team near the top of the key, Clark appeared to drift behind the play. The Fever guard was actually watching Bueckers’ eyes and waiting for her opportunity. Clark stepped into the passing lane, deflected the ball and converted the turnover into a layup at the other end. Afterward, she revealed that the play was not accidental.
Clark set the trap before springing it
“I think I was kind of reading her eyes a little bit, and I almost kind of baited her into it,” Clark said during her postgame press conference.
Clark joked that she acted as though she had fallen behind the play, although she admitted that might have been partially true. Either way, her positioning convinced Bueckers that the pass was available.
It was not.
Clark got a hand on the ball and immediately pushed Indiana into transition. The sequence offered a glimpse of the defensive instincts that can get overshadowed by her shooting range and passing ability.
The Fever star finished with only one steal, but it came at an important point as Indiana attempted to disrupt a Dallas offense built around Bueckers.
“(I) was able to jump-start our defense a little bit,” Clark said.
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Indiana found an answer after halftime
Bueckers was outstanding overall, finishing with 29 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals. Clark matched her 29 points while recording 10 assists, three rebounds and the pivotal takeaway. The most important number, however, may have been Bueckers’ two second-half field-goal attempts.
Indiana changed its approach after halftime, showing Bueckers additional pressure and attempting to force the ball elsewhere. Clark’s anticipation helped make that plan work. The Fever also became more effective offensively. Clark scored 16 points during the third quarter, while Aliyah Boston delivered 10 of her 16 points in the fourth. Kelsey Mitchell added 23 points.
That combination turned a halftime deficit into Indiana’s third consecutive victory. Clark is known primarily for creating shots, but Friday showed how quickly she can diagnose them from the other side. She understood where Bueckers wanted to deliver the ball, disguised her intentions and attacked at exactly the right moment.
There will be bigger shots and flashier highlights from the Clark-Bueckers matchup. The steal may have been the play that best demonstrated Clark’s growing command of the professional game.
She did not merely react to Bueckers.
She convinced her to make the pass she wanted.
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