Caitlin Clark remains optimistic ahead of Fever home opener after lackluster WNBA debut
The Fever open the season at home against the Liberty at 7 p.m. ET
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Caitlin Clark will be relying on the home crowd to help her rebound from Tuesday night's loss against the Connecticut Sun when the Indiana Fever play their home opener against the New York Liberty Thursday night.
Clark, 22, spoke to reporters following her lackluster debut in the WNBA earlier this week.
The former Iowa star was adamant about not getting caught up in the negative after the double-digit loss to the Sun, a mindset she continued to embrace Thursday afternoon ahead of the Fever’s game against the Liberty.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
"I’m really excited. I think the crowd’s going to be really good. We’re going to need it to use for our advantage," she told reporters.
"The Liberty is a really good team. Our schedule is not easy by any means, but when you’re in this league and there’s 12 teams — everybody’s good all across the board — you have to show up every single night. But I think the biggest thing is, we played on Tuesday, and it wasn’t exactly what we wanted.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
"But we get to come back tonight on our home court and have an opportunity to play better, to learn, to fix things."
Connecticut’s defense limited Clark in the first half of Tuesday’s game. She went scoreless in the first 15 minutes and struggled with her signature 3-point shot. Despite the pressure, Clark adjusted.
CAITLIN CLARK'S PRO DEBUT MOST-WATCHED WNBA GAME SINCE 2001
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
She led the Fever with 20 points. But she was 5 of 15 from the field and committed 10 of Indiana’s 25 turnovers.
"Not everything is going to be perfect. Again, this is only our second game," Clark added Thursday. "We’ve got a young group, but as long as we’re learning and continuing to get better, that’s what is going to be positive for us."
The Fever have a tough schedule this week. They traveled back from Connecticut with just one day of rest before the home opener.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
The Liberty are coming off a win against the Washington Mystics. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, and the game will be streamed nationally on Amazon Prime.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.