The Caitlin Clark bandwagon has hit its first speed bump. Clark struggled on the road during her WNBA regular season debut, and the former Hawkeye star had a rough go during her home debut last night in Indianapolis. There is a reason the Indiana Fever has had back-to-back #1 overall picks in the WNBA Draft.

Caitlin Clark was held to just 9 points as the Fever were destroyed by the New York Liberty 102-66, according to ESPN. While Clark failed to hit double digits in points, she did lower her turnover total from 10 down to just 3 against the Liberty. ESPN reports that Thursday's game was the first time since Clark's freshman season at Iowa in 2021 that she did not score in double digits.

New York Liberty v Indiana Fever
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While some basketball fans might be surprised to see Clark struggle and have concerns, at least one former WNBA MVP is coming to her defense. The Des Moines Register reports that New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart, who had 31 points in Thursday night's game, said that everyone needs to "give her some time." Stewart called Clark a "very talented player" and noted that "for her to be able to handle everything that she's handling on and off the court and still play and be locked in with her team, it's great to see."

Another #1 overall pick, Sabrina Ionescu, who stars for the Liberty reminded fans that Clark is only two games into her professional career. The Register reports that Ionescu stated 'I'm not the least bit worried about what she's going to be able to accomplish in the league."

What does Caitlin think is holding her back? ESPN reports that Clark thinks the game "seems a little fast for me right now. The more I play and the more comfortable I get, it's going to slow down a little bit."

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