Valkyries rout Fever to spoil Caitlin Clark's return in Indianapolis

The Golden State Valkyries leaned on their league-best defense to secure a dominant 80-61 win over the Indiana Fever on Wednesday, spoiling Caitlin Clark’s return to Indianapolis.

Clark, recently named a WNBA All-Star captain, was back in action after her second injury setback of the season. She finished with 10 points and six assists but couldn’t lift Indiana past Golden State’s relentless defensive pressure.

The Valkyries (10-9) entered the night leading the WNBA in opponent shooting percentage (39.9%) and lived up to the billing, holding Indiana to a season-low 30.9% from the field.



After Indiana jumped out to a 23-14 lead, Golden State erupted on a 33-9 run that spanned the end of the first quarter through early in the third, including a second quarter where the Fever managed just nine points.

Veronica Burton was the star of the night, hitting 5-of-6 from beyond the arc and finishing with 21 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. All-Star Kayla Thornton added 18 points and eight boards.


Indiana briefly cut the deficit to 55-50 in the third, but Golden State responded with another 9-0 surge to regain full control. The Valkyries are now 9-0 when holding opponents under 80 points.

Clark shot 4-for-12 in her return, while Kelsey Mitchell added 12 points on 3-for-13 shooting. Makayla Timpson chipped in 10 points off the bench.