Caitlin Clark notched her second career WNBA triple-double on Wednesday night, recording 24 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds in a win over the Los Angeles Sparks. Clark played all 40 minutes of the 93-86 victory, marking the fourth time she’s reached the 40-minute mark in her rookie season. Many coaches might opt to preserve their young superstar as the postseason quickly approaches, but not Indiana Fever head coach Christie Sides. The Fever’s coach is clearly comfortable with leaving Clark out on the court as long as possible.
Clark is comfortable with this as well. After Wednesday night’s game, Clark was asked if she ever asked to be taken out of the game.
The rookie, alongside her All-Star teammate Aliyah Boston, answered with a quick “No.” “Finding the balance of when to conserve my energy in the game and playing with pace at the same time… I think I’ve done better at that,” Clark said.
“It’s not really my choice,” she continued. “They know what they’re thinking and what we need in the moment. I could probably go play another 40 minutes. I don’t usually like to stop.” Clark is averaging 35.5 minutes per game so far in her rookie season. The Fever are 1-3 in the four games in which Clark has played all 40 minutes.
The Fever are currently on a five-game winning streak and will look to continue that success in Friday night’s matchup against the Minnesota Lynx.