Indiana Fever vs. Golden State Valkyries: How many points did Caitlin Clark score tonight?

Caitlin Clark returned to the floor Friday night with plenty of attention already surrounding her before tipoff even arrived. After missing Indiana’s previous game because of back soreness and drawing league-wide headlines over the handling of her injury status, Clark answered the noise the way star players usually do. She delivered 22 points and nine assists to lead the Indiana Fever to a 90-82 win over the Golden State Valkyries at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.Indiana needed that version of Clark. Golden State entered the matchup riding momentum from a dominant win over the defending champion New York Liberty and had already shown defensive toughness early this season. Instead, Clark controlled the game’s pace almost immediately, knocking down four three-pointers while keeping Indiana’s offense organized through pressure moments late in the fourth quarter.Clark finished with 22 points on 7-for-15 shooting, including 4-for-9 from beyond the arc, while also adding nine assists, two rebounds, one steal and one block in 32 minutes. She converted four of her five free throws and once again became the center of Indiana’s offense whenever the Fever needed a steady possession.Her night was not completely smooth. Late in the fourth quarter, officials reviewed a potential flagrant foul after Clark’s elbow made contact with a Valkyries defender near the head and neck area. The play was upgraded to a Flagrant 1, giving Golden State free throws and possession. Even so, Indiana stayed composed and closed out its third straight victory to improve to 4-2 on the season.The WNBA issued a warning to the Fever after Clark was left off the injury report before Wednesday’s game against the Portland Fire despite later being ruled out with back soreness. Questions quickly followed about the team’s reporting process and Clark’s overall health. Clark missed Wednesday’s game against Portland because of stiffness and soreness in her back. Fever coach Stephanie White revealed Clark did not practice Tuesday and instead spent the day receiving treatment. Although Indiana initially expected her to play, Clark eventually decided shortly before tipoff that she was not physically comfortable enough to take the court.Before Friday’s game, Clark addressed the situation herself.“At this point, maybe I'll need to be listed as soreness on every injury report,” Clark said.She later explained that sitting out against Portland was ultimately her own decision after treatment failed to fully relieve the discomfort.“Coming back from injury and having three soft tissues or however many soft tissue injuries is a real mental challenge,” Clark said on Friday. “If I don't feel a hundred percent confident in my body on game five of the year, I don't know if that's really worth it in that scenario.”Clark is back now, and she is expected to be fully present in the upcoming games.