LeBron James praises Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark after 32-point performance in return
James has cheered on Clark since the beginning of her WNBA career.

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark was sorely missed by many fans of the league while she sat out for two weeks with an injury. But as Saturday marked her return from five games on the bench, fans were given quite the welcome back present. Clark scored 32 points and tied a career-high with seven 3-pointers made to lead the Feveer to a 102-88 win over the New York Liberty.
One of the most delighted fans to see Clark back on the floor was LeBron James.
"The CC EFFECT!! WELCOME BACK! You were missed!" James wrote on X.
The CC EFFECT!! WELCOME BACK! You were missed!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 14, 2025
This was not the first time the four-time NBA champion shows support for Clark. James made an Instagram post at the beginning of the WNBA season to wish her luck and remind her to be herself. Early in Clark's rookie season, James was vocal about how much he respected the former Iowa star and said she "is the reason why a lot of great things are gonna happen for the WNBA."
The appreciation is mutual, as last month Clark said James is one of her idols and who she considers "the GOAT."
Despite the left quad strain that kept her out for three weeks, 2025 has been a good year for Clark as she is still one of the top candidates to win MVP.
The 2024 Rookie of the Year flirted with a triple-double on Saturday as she also contributed with eight rebounds and nine assists. One of the most impressive moments from her performance happened late in the first quarter when she hit three 3-pointers in 38 seconds, all of them coming from at least 27 feet.
James didn't specifically comment on that, but another NBA star was also paying close attention. San Antonio Spurs point guard and 12-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul reacted to that sequence on social media.
Caitlin Clark just scored 9 points in less than 45 seconds 🤯🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/SWBk9PhI4g
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) June 14, 2025
Liberty vs Fever!! Great game! Caitlin Clark w/three deep 3’s in a row #WNBA
— Chris Paul (@CP3) June 14, 2025
"It felt good," Clark said postgame when asked about what went through her head when her first 3-pointer went in. "I took one in transition. That's kind of where I like to get to early and it's always good to see the ball go through the hoop. Then I came down and shot another one. Then I came down and shot another one and saw three in a row go in, so that gives you a lot of confidence."
Saturday's win helped Indiana get back to .500 with a 5-5 record, while New York dropped to 9-1. Clark and the rest of the Fever will be back on the court on Tuesday as they host the Connecticut Sun. Meanwhile, the Liberty will try to bounce back on Tuesday while hosting the Atlanta Dream.