Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark shed more light on how her Team WNBA defeated Team USA during the All-Star Game on July 20. However, the reason may not be what people expect.

Clark didn’t have the best game in the contest, but she tallied 10 assists to steer Team WNBA to a 117-109 win. Her fellow rookie, Angel Reese, was also sensational with a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double. Then there’s Arike Ogunbowale, who finished with 34 points en route to the MVP award.

But for Clark, those individual performances weren’t really what propelled them to victory. Instead, the Fever playmaker pointed to one thing as the difference-maker for them: playing with fun.

Jun 30, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) against the Phoenix Mercury during a WNBA game at Footprint Center.

Jun 30, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) against the Phoenix Mercury during a WNBA game at Footprint Center.

© Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

“Going down there my biggest goal was just to have fun,” Clark said Friday during a surprise appearance at North High School in Des Moines. Clark returned to Iowa to take part in her foundation’s donation drive, which saw them give out over 350 Nike backpacks with school supplies to students.

The Fever guard further explained, “I think that’s the main reason we won is just because we were having so much fun playing with one another. It’s kinda just like going out there and playing pick-up as a young kid. We didn’t have any plays, we didn’t have a scouting report. You’re just going out there and having fun and playing basketball like you know how to. I think that’s honestly the reason we won.”

Team WNBA had just one practice together a day prior to the All-Star Game, so they were considered heavy underdogs in the showdown. After all, they were up against a star-studded USA squad that had experience playing together in national team training camps.

It didn’t matter, though, as Team WNBA showed their competitive fire and even led by as many as 16 points before settling for the seven-point win. Breanna Stewart led the scoring for the USA roster with 31 points, while A’ja Wilson added 22.

Caitlin Clark and Co. may have entered the game to have fun, but at the end of the day, every athlete knows there’s nothing more enjoyable than winning.