Caitlin Clark snagged the Associated Press Player of the Week honor, and we saw why firsthand when our Seattle Storm threw down hard but ultimately got edged out in a wild 110-107 showdown.
Storm's Fight Against a Record-Smasher
That Friday night game against Indiana was absolutely bananas. Clark went off, racking up a career-high 45 points, 10 assists, four steals, and two blocks. She shot 11-of-18 from the field, dropped six three-pointers, and hit 17 of 19 free throws. The AP confirmed she's the first in WNBA history to hit 40 points and 10 assists in the same game. That's a Fever single-game scoring record, and she became the fastest player to 200 career 3-pointers in just 74 games, blowing past Katie Smith's old record. But our Storm didn't roll over. Dominique Malonga was an absolute beast, dropping 28 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, keeping us right in it until the very end. The Fever needed *nearly all* of Clark's historic production to survive against us, showing the fight in our squad. Kelsey Mitchell dropped 30 for the Fever, and Monique Billings added 16, but we made them earn every single point.Clark's Comeback and the Fever's Ascent
Clark's overall week was a blur, averaging 25 points and 7.7 assists across three games, including that epic against our Storm and a win over the New York Liberty. This helped the Fever hit 16-10 and tie the Atlanta Dream at the top of the Eastern Conference standings. What's even wilder is Clark only recently got back from a lingering back injury that sidelined her for three games. They've been monitoring her minutes, but clearly, that restriction meant squat against Seattle. She played like she hadn't missed a beat, which is both frustrating for us but also undeniably impressive for her.Grinding Through the Gauntlet
The Fever didn't even get to properly celebrate that wild victory over our Storm. Less than 24 hours later, they were back on the court, facing the defending Eastern Conference champion New York Liberty. Clark wasn't lights out like the night before, but she still put up 17 points and a team-high seven assists in just 26 minutes, hitting all five of her free throws. Mitchell again carried the scoring load with 33 points, guiding Indiana to a 108-88 cruise. The fact that Clark was able to play both ends of that back-to-back, especially coming off injury, was probably as important as her stat lines. It showed their team's early-season grit. We saw a historic performance up close and personal, and while it stings to be on the losing side, our Storm showed incredible heart to push a player like Clark to literally break records to beat us. Dominique Malonga's play was straight fire, and that kind of fight is exactly what we want to see as the season rolls on. This league is tough, but our Storm proved they can hang with anyone. Keep bringing that energy, Emerald City!This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.
Originally reported by Direct RSS.