Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever struggle with turnovers, fouls in WNBA season opener vs. Sun

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — The much-anticipated debut of Caitlin Clark didn't go to plan.

Connecticut's physicality got the best of Indiana on Tuesday night as the Fever fell in its season-opener, 92-71. Indiana starts the season 0-1 and will play New York at home on Thursday.

Here are three observations:

More: Caitlin Clark was struggling. Aliyah Boston took her by the arm and coached her up.

In-depth: How Caitlin Clark deals with fame and expectations

Sun's physicality leads to Fever foul trouble

Connecticut is one of, if not the most, physical teams in the league. It was something the Fever knew, and something they tried to prepare for. Sometimes, though, it's still too much to handle.

The Sun were not afraid to push through Fever players under the basket. And that led to Fever fouls. A lot of them.

Fever rookie Caitlin Clark picked up her first foul — which some on social media called ticky-tacky — about two minutes into the game as Sun point guard Alyssa Thomas went over her for a shot. Clark's second foul, also drawn by Thomas, came just three minutes of game time later. Suddenly, her debut was marred by early foul trouble.

Forward NaLyssa Smith also picked up two fouls in the first quarter, while backup Temi Fagbenle had three fouls in 3:33 of game time. Center Aliyah Boston went through her first eight minutes of game time unscathed in the first quarter, but she picked up three in five minutes in the second.

Caitlin Clark's passing doesn't connect

One of Clark's biggest strengths is her passing — she's usually two steps ahead in the play, and she knows how to thread the ball in between defenders with no-look, behind-the-back and fake-out passes. Her prowess is evident, as she averaged 8.9 assists per game when she was a senior at Iowa.

For her teammates, though, learning Clark's passing style takes a different type of awareness and court vision — most importantly, it takes time. And the Fever have only had about three weeks — 12 practices — to work together as a full squad. Integrating a new player, especially when its a point guard running the offense, takes time.

Clark was visibly frustrated at the end of the first half, having just turned the ball over for the fifth time seconds before the buzzer. Three Sun players surrounded her and forced the ball out, but DiJonai Carrington's shot did not convert at the halftime buzzer.

Clark finished with 10 turnovers and just three assists in her first official professional game. Connecticut's physicality didn't help, as players tracked Clark close, many times picking her up full-court and double-teaming. Her nine turnovers broke Cynthia Cooper-Dyke's record for most in a debut game, according to Across the Timeline.

Some of the turnovers were bad looks: Connecticut intercepted her passing lane, she traveled or the Sun forced the ball out of her hands. Others, though, came from her intricate passing not connecting with her teammates. Some potential assists fell short because of missed shots or blocks.

Overall, the Fever turned the ball over 25 times, and the Sun converted that to 29 points.

Lexie Hull doesn't play in season-opener

Third-year guard Lexie Hull started 25 games for the Fever last year, averaging 20 minutes per game. She wasn't the most effective offensive weapon, averaging 4.6 points per game, but was known as the Fever's defensive whiz, always guarding the most formidable opposing guard.

On Tuesday, she didn't get in the game. She was one of three on the night, including rookie Celeste Taylor (the reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Naismith DPOTY finalist) and Victaria Saxton.

Sun guard DiJonai Carrington, who averaged 8.3 points per game last season, was seemingly unstoppable in the first half, shooting 6-of-12 from the field for 14 points

At times, Indiana struggled defending Connecticut's physical play, especially at the 3-point line. The Sun shot 42% from the 3-point line Tuesday night and took 16 more shots than the Fever.

How many points did Caitlin Clark score?

Clark scored 20 points in her league debut, going 5-of-15 from the field and 4-of-11 from 3-point range.

Because of the early foul trouble, Clark was forced to sit for the rest of the first quarter, delaying her first official WNBA points. Clark scored her first points on a layup halfway through the second quarter, stealing the ball at midcourt and blowing past DeWanna Bonner.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Caitlin Clark, Fever struggle with turnovers in WNBA season opening loss