Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark returned from a multi-week quad injury on Saturday afternoon, and handed the New York Liberty their first loss of the 2025 WNBA season. Doing so in historic fashion, Clark finished with 32 points, eight rebounds, nine assists and seven made threes. She was the first player in league history to record that line in a game (via Underdog WNBA).
Sending the basketball world into a frenzy with her performance, Clark had players and analysts from all across the sport talking about her return. Not only did she put up incredible individual numbers, but she took down the undefeated reigning WNBA champions in the process.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22)
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22)
Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
As reactions to Clark's performance were pouring in from around basketball, a message from Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James hit the internet. James, who has been a vocal supporter of Clark, made a post on X.
"The CC EFFECT!!" he exclaimed. "WELCOME BACK! You were missed!"
James has been a regular supporter of Clark, often calling out the Fever guard's critics. There are some parallels between the two basketball superstars. Like James, Clark was drafted No. 1 overall with the expectations to not only carry her franchise, but the also the league.
Like James, Clark has even exceeded some of the loftiest expectations for her professional career thus far. While she and the Fever remain in pursuit of deep playoff success, the individual dominance from Clark is undeniable at this stage of her WNBA career.
Saturday's performance was another example of that.