Brazil coach tells Caitlin Clark exactly what he thinks of her after players’ gesture

Caitlin Clark played her first game since Sept. 25 for the Indiana Fever on Sunday against Team Brazil, and their head coach made sure to congratulate her when given the chance

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever steamrolled Team Brazil during a WNBA exhibition game on Sunday, but the Rookie of the Year shared a wholesome interaction with head coach Leo Figueiro.

Clark returned from an injury scare to play in front of a sold-out homecoming in Iowa, with almost 15,000 fans inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena for the exhibition. It was Clark’s first action of the preseason, and first game since the end of last season, as she snubbed Unrivaled to stay out of the spotlight.

The Fever star is set to enter only her second season in the WNBA, but the Hawkeyes legend has become the face of women’s basketball over the past three years. Her impact was honored by Figueiro, who congratulated Clark during the second quarter of Brazil’s 108-44 loss. Brazil’s players also queued up for her autograph after the game in a clear sign of their appreciation of her.

“You’re an amazing player, congratulations,” Figueiro said to Clark, who was mic’d up during the game. “You’ve changed the history in basketball,” he added.

Clark then responded: “I appreciate it. Thanks for coming here and playing us.” The Fever star then asked whether it was the most people that he’d played in front of, and Figueiro said: “Yeah.”

The second-year WNBA player was rested in the final quarter of Sunday’s game, but finished with 16 points, five assists, and six rebounds. While it was good to get back into action for Clark, she was delighted to play in her old arena after making history on several occasions for Iowa.

“I certainly give the fans something to cheer about. That’s my goal,” Clark said, per HawkCentral. “Get them involved. Get them loud. Because, I told my teammates, it’s going to be the loudest arena you’ve ever played in. So, I’ve got to make a few shots and be able to get them on their feet.”

Clark was rested as a precautionary measure for Saturday’s exhibition game against the Washington Mystics, after dealing with a lower leg injury. Although there was no competitive pressure ahead of Sunday’s game against Brazil, Clark admitted that she was slightly nervous.

“I haven’t played [a game] in, like 200 days, so I was a little nervous going in,” Clark said. “The competitive spirit in me — you just want to play really good for these fans.”

Those nerves may have also been linked to playing back at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, where she is adored. “It’s hard to put it into words what exactly it means to me,” Clark added. “It’s almost overwhelming. I’m just very thankful to come back to a place that continues to support me.”

Clark’s nerves wore off by the third quarter, as she made an estimated 36-foot 3-pointer near the same spot that she broke the NCAA basketball career-scoring record. With just 26.1 seconds remaining in the quarter, meaning that her game was almost complete, Clark went for it.

“I don’t know if I shoot 36-footers every day, but 30-plus for sure,” Clark said when asked if she practices shooting from deep. “It was just kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing. You don’t always realize where you are.”

New Fever head coach Stephanie White was also blown away by the Iowa crowd, as she acknowledged Clark’s influence and the rise of women’s basketball. However, the Brazil players was also star-struck by Clark, requesting autographs before leaving the court