NEW YORK — Caitlin Clark had just one basket and three points in the worst game of her young pro career, and the New York Liberty routed the Indiana Fever 104-68 on Sunday night.
''I think collectively as a team, we understand who kind of the head of the monster is on that team and we are trying to just make everything tough and difficult,'' Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu said. ''Obviously, they came off a back-to-back, so it's a little bit tough for them as well. But she'll figure it out. It's not that big of a deal to have a game like that.''
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton scored 20 points and Jonquel Jones added 18 for the Liberty, who were nearing the end of the easy win when Clark left the game and Aliyah Boston departed a few minutes later after an awkward fall that injured her left ankle.
Clark shot 1 for 10 and had five assists. The No. 1 pick in the draft played the first few minutes of the fourth quarter before exiting, holding her left ear for a little bit as she left the court. She hurt it while getting bumped on a screen. Clark went to the locker room with Boston for a few minutes, but returned to the bench for the final 2 1/2 minutes of the game.
Clark was fine afterward.
Indiana coach Christie Sides didn't have an update on the extent of Boston's injury, but last season's Rookie of the Year seemed to be OK walking around in front of the locker room.
The Fever have had a brutal stretch to the start the season with 11 games in the first 20 days, including playing New York three times now.
''Their legs were shot. I mean, that's where everything stems from, your legs, when you shoot the basketball — especially for 3s," Sides said. ''They're shot, they're gassed, so everything was a little short.''
