For years, Caitlin Clark and Kate Martin were an unstoppable force for the Iowa Hawkeyes, ranking among the nation’s top players and leading their team to back-to-back NCAA title games. Now rivals in the WNBA, their friendship remains strong both before and after the game.

Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark (22) is called for a foul against Las...

Before today’s matchup between Clark’s Indiana Fever and Martin’s Las Vegas Aces at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the two reunited on the court for a pre-game handshake. The touching video captured their embrace.

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On the court, however, it’s a different story.

Indiana Fever falls to Las Vegas Aces

 

Despite a slow start, the Las Vegas Aces surged ahead of Indiana in the second quarter and never looked back. The Aces held rookie Caitlin Clark to her lowest scoring game since their last encounter on July 2, limiting her to just 13 points. Clark also struggled from three-point range, hitting only 1 of 10 attempts.

Though Clark’s 16 points, six assists, and near season record weren’t enough for a Fever victory, she continues to shine. Kelsey Mitchell impressed with 24 points despite the loss.

Meanwhile, A’ja Wilson set a new WNBA single-season scoring record with 27 points and 12 rebounds, leading the Aces to an 86-75 win over the Fever for their 14th consecutive victory in the series. Wilson surpassed Jewell Loyd’s record with a free throw with 26.4 seconds left in the second quarter.

The Fever were outpaced by the Aces, who capitalized on 14 turnovers to score 13 points. The two teams will face off again this Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to complete the season series.