INDIANAPOLIS —

Even before Caitlin Clark took the court on Friday, you could sense something extraordinary was about to happen. At least, she was striving to make that feeling a reality.

On a personal level, she had been trying to regain her rhythm after an injury. The Fever, as a team, really needed her to shine, especially with fellow All-Star Aliyah Boston sidelined.

But Friday? It was something special, even by her own high standards.

Clark put up a franchise-record 45 points and handed out 10 assists, making history as the first player in WNBA to achieve a 40-10 game, leading the Fever to a nail-biting 110-107 victory over the Seattle Storm.

“I think it’s crucial to believe in nights like this; you have to envision them,” Clark remarked. “It doesn’t always go my way…but I know the dedication I’ve invested, and that people have faith in me. Most importantly, I believe in myself.”

“You just have to put in the effort, and honestly, no one cares when things don’t work out. The goal is to improve and help the team win. That’s what I’m always aiming to do.”

In a tense moment when the team needed her the most, Clark delivered a spectacular fourth quarter. Scoring 16 points during that stretch, she either scored or assisted on 17 of Indiana University’s last 19 points. But the most significant moment? Her step-back three-pointer with 39 seconds to go, which put the Fever ahead 105-102, a lead they maintained until the end.

“Unbelievable,” Fever head coach Stephanie White said. “It’s special. She accomplishes things we’ve never witnessed before… Sometimes it feels surreal. When I looked at the stats later, I thought, ‘Oh my God—45 points and 10 assists.’ Just incredible.”

The season started off hot, but Clark hasn’t had an easy ride lately. She’s been dealing with a back injury and had only played four games since late June. However, this time, she seemed to be getting back into her groove.

And Friday felt different. Clark sensed it, and so did her coach.

“She looked light,” White noted before the game. “Positive. Bouncy. I think she felt good. We’ve witnessed glimpses of that lately.”

Interestingly, it was actually Clark’s teammate who shone in the first quarter. Kelsey Mitchell racked up 17 of her 30 points early on, helping the Fever take a commanding lead. To give you some context, Clark and Mitchell combined for 75 points, a franchise record for a duo.

Clark found her rhythm in the second quarter with 14 points, primarily from the free-throw line. The Fever needed every bit of it since the Storm were narrowing the gap and trailed by just three at halftime.

Seattle kept chipping away in the second half, even gaining an eight-point lead with just over five minutes left in the game. Yet, that moment marked a turning point for both Clark and the Fever, who gradually caught up.

Clark utilized a range of skills to score, from mid-range jumpers to a crafty drive to the basket, and her signature step-back. At 2:23, she nailed a three-pointer, tying the game with a one-and-one layup from Monique Billings with just over a minute left.

But the night didn’t end there.

After a Fever turnover with less than a minute remaining in a tied game, Clark sprinted back on defense, stealing the ball from Frauge Johnson. She then delivered the game-winning three-pointer, igniting a massive wave of jubilation in the arena.

“When she’s in a flow state, she reads the game better than most,” White said. “She’s starting to recognize what the defense gives her. We’ve always known she could hit big shots, and she showed it all tonight.”

There’s never a bad instance for a 45-point game, but this felt particularly timely for Clark. After struggling with injuries and playing limited minutes, getting back into the swing of things was already a significant win.

And then, 45 points? That was just icing on the cake.

“Coming back from an injury is tough,” said White. “Physically, it feels different. Mentally, you want it to feel the same. Sometimes I doubt myself, but that’s all part of it. The timing and rhythm, those things matter when you’ve been off the court. So this was huge for both her and us.”

Interestingly, White mentioned Clark’s playing time was still capped at 25 minutes before the game. Yet in the fourth quarter, there was no sign of her coming out.

She was in for the long haul. Nothing could take her out of that moment. It was truly a night to remember.

“Steph knows better than that,” Clark joked with a smile. “The trainers are aware too. They’ll listen. But I told Steph at halftime that I felt great and didn’t want to lose this game… I’ve put in a lot of effort. I trust my teammates and everyone around me. I was confident that I was doing everything right—I had to stay in the game for the fourth quarter.”

“It didn’t matter—I was going to play even if it was on one leg.”