The 24-year-old has suffered an unexpected setback after putting her life back together since the crash that left her with a serious brain injury in 2021.

When Indiana Fever fans returned to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Saturday's season opener, it seemed everything was back in place.The street banners dotted the downtown landscape, the handmade signs were visible from any vantage point inside the sold out arena and, of course, Caitlin Clark jerseys and T-shirts remained a trendy favorite. And why not live it up as Clark's 10-month wait to play a meaningful game on her home court finally ended with the weekend's featured matchup between Clark and the Fever and Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings.Yet even with the anticipation of seeing two of the league's most popular players and the last four No. 1 draft picks squaring off in Game 1, nobody was more excited to get started than Clark.I think there's a different juice inside your body when you're putting on your uniform and you're mentally locked in to go and play a basketball game, she said before tipoff. Like I was excited for my teammates last year, 100% I was their biggest fan. But it's not the same, it just isn't. I missed having the butterflies in my stomach before a game. Like I love that, and that means you're ready.The WNBA schedule makers certainly gave fans what they wanted following an offseason filled with collective bargaining agreement negotiations and uncertainty about this year's action.By Friday night, it was all in the past. Two old rivals, the New York Liberty and Connecticut Sun, played the first game of the leagues 30th season with two potentially budding rivals, the Seattle Storm and Golden State Valkyries, capping the night in the third and final game. In between, fans got their first glimpse of the expansion Toronto Tempo against Washington.That set up Saturdays nationally televised matinee between Clark and Bueckers, and it didn't disappoint.Clark scored 10 of her 20 points in the third quarter to help the Fever rally from a 60-51 halftime deficit, but she missed a logo 3-pointer that would have tied the score at 107 with 4.5 seconds left in the game. The former Iowa star finished 2 of 9 on 3s as the Wings held on for a 107-104 victory.She also had seven assists, five rebounds and joined the 1,000-point club while Bueckers finished with 20 points despite missing two free throws with 1.6 seconds left. Azzi Fudd, this year's No. 1 draft pick, took only two shots in 18 minutes, making a 3 for the only points in her regular-season debut.Clark also gave fans another injury scare. She briefly left the bench twice in the second half to have her back worked on but managed to finish the game, something she did not do in last weeks preseason game against Dallas after banging her kneecap hard on a fall.I feel good, started off a little slow I think just the anxiety of the first game, she said. Felt like I was literally just a couple of buckets away from putting together a really, really good game and getting a win.The result didn't temper the fanfare surrounding this game, though.Clark and her teammates walked down the stairs and through the crowd to the court for player introductions with the loudest roar, naturally, reserved for Clark.I'm getting chills right now just thinking about where we are as a league," Fever coach Stephanie White said. I mean this is what we dreamed about, right? From the time I was a rookie in this league to the time we won a championship in 2012 (with the Fever) when we were seeing sold out arenas only in championship games or in Finals games to becoming mainstream.While Clark played a big role in making sellouts the norm in college and the WNBA it's not just about Clark anymore.Saturday's crowd included a small group in UConn jerseys, a nod to both Bueckers and Fudd, while another had a cutout of Bueckers on a sign saying she'd skipped her prom to attend the game. And there was a smattering of Bueckers fans dressed in Dallas jerseys, too.It's huge. I watched a lot of the games on YouTube TV las night so to be able to play on national television where a lot more people have access to it, Bueckers said. There's way more accessibility to it than when I was growing up watching the Minnesota Lynx. There wasn't as much national television coverage, you didn't see shows about it, you didn't so much on social media.But the addition of Bueckers, last year's WNBA Rookie of the Year, and the return of Clark, the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year, from a season-ending groin injury have the league poised for potentially its biggest season yet.And the opening weekend fanfare had a little bit of everything David Letterman and NBA All-Star Tyrese Haliburton sitting courtside, a moment to honor some of the pioneers from the Women's Professional Basketball League and Fever players walking through the crowd to the court during player introductions with the two biggest roars reserved for Clark and Bueckers.I think it's great for women's basketball more than anything, Clark said referring to the four No. 1 picks Fever center Aliyah Boston in 2023, herself in 2024, Bueckers last year and now Fudd. And you know this might be the first time this has ever really happened in sports having two No. 1 picks on both sides. I think it speaks to the young talent in this league, how excited fans are about them and how excited they are about these two teams having us match up in the first game of the season."___AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

When Indiana Fever fans returned to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Saturday's season opener, it seemed everything was back in place.The street banners dotted the downtown landscape, the handmade signs were visible from any vantage point inside the sold out arena and, of course, Caitlin Clark jerseys and T-shirts remained a trendy favorite. And why not live it up as Clark's 10-month wait to play a meaningful game on her home court finally ended with the weekend's featured matchup between Clark and the Fever and Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings.Yet even with the anticipation of seeing two of the league's most popular players and the last four No. 1 draft picks squaring off in Game 1, nobody was more excited to get started than Clark.I think there's a different juice inside your body when you're putting on your uniform and you're mentally locked in to go and play a basketball game, she said before tipoff. Like I was excited for my teammates last year, 100% I was their biggest fan. But it's not the same, it just isn't. I missed having the butterflies in my stomach before a game. Like I love that, and that means you're ready.The WNBA schedule makers certainly gave fans what they wanted following an offseason filled with collective bargaining agreement negotiations and uncertainty about this year's action.By Friday night, it was all in the past. Two old rivals, the New York Liberty and Connecticut Sun, played the first game of the leagues 30th season with two potentially budding rivals, the Seattle Storm and Golden State Valkyries, capping the night in the third and final game. In between, fans got their first glimpse of the expansion Toronto Tempo against Washington.That set up Saturdays nationally televised matinee between Clark and Bueckers, and it didn't disappoint.Clark scored 10 of her 20 points in the third quarter to help the Fever rally from a 60-51 halftime deficit, but she missed a logo 3-pointer that would have tied the score at 107 with 4.5 seconds left in the game. The former Iowa star finished 2 of 9 on 3s as the Wings held on for a 107-104 victory.She also had seven assists, five rebounds and joined the 1,000-point club while Bueckers finished with 20 points despite missing two free throws with 1.6 seconds left. Azzi Fudd, this year's No. 1 draft pick, took only two shots in 18 minutes, making a 3 for the only points in her regular-season debut.Clark also gave fans another injury scare. She briefly left the bench twice in the second half to have her back worked on but managed to finish the game, something she did not do in last weeks preseason game against Dallas after banging her kneecap hard on a fall.I feel good, started off a little slow I think just the anxiety of the first game, she said. Felt like I was literally just a couple of buckets away from putting together a really, really good game and getting a win.The result didn't temper the fanfare surrounding this game, though.Clark and her teammates walked down the stairs and through the crowd to the court for player introductions with the loudest roar, naturally, reserved for Clark.I'm getting chills right now just thinking about where we are as a league," Fever coach Stephanie White said. I mean this is what we dreamed about, right? From the time I was a rookie in this league to the time we won a championship in 2012 (with the Fever) when we were seeing sold out arenas only in championship games or in Finals games to becoming mainstream.While Clark played a big role in making sellouts the norm in college and the WNBA it's not just about Clark anymore.Saturday's crowd included a small group in UConn jerseys, a nod to both Bueckers and Fudd, while another had a cutout of Bueckers on a sign saying she'd skipped her prom to attend the game. And there was a smattering of Bueckers fans dressed in Dallas jerseys, too.It's huge. I watched a lot of the games on YouTube TV las night so to be able to play on national television where a lot more people have access to it, Bueckers said. There's way more accessibility to it than when I was growing up watching the Minnesota Lynx. There wasn't as much national television coverage, you didn't see shows about it, you didn't so much on social media.But the addition of Bueckers, last year's WNBA Rookie of the Year, and the return of Clark, the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year, from a season-ending groin injury have the league poised for potentially its biggest season yet.And the opening weekend fanfare had a little bit of everything David Letterman and NBA All-Star Tyrese Haliburton sitting courtside, a moment to honor some of the pioneers from the Women's Professional Basketball League and Fever players walking through the crowd to the court during player introductions with the two biggest roars reserved for Clark and Bueckers.I think it's great for women's basketball more than anything, Clark said referring to the four No. 1 picks Fever center Aliyah Boston in 2023, herself in 2024, Bueckers last year and now Fudd. And you know this might be the first time this has ever really happened in sports having two No. 1 picks on both sides. I think it speaks to the young talent in this league, how excited fans are about them and how excited they are about these two teams having us match up in the first game of the season."___AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Southampton manager Tonda Eckert has walked out of his post-match press conference at the Riverside this afternoon, refusing to address questions about the 'spygate' scandal that has engulfed his club.The dramatic exit came after the Saints played out a goalless draw with Middlesbrough in the first leg of their Championship play-off semi-final.It's fair to say the atmosphere was tense from the start, with journalists keen to quiz Eckert on allegations that a member of his staff was caught spying on Boro's training sessions ahead of the crucial tie.The German boss, however, wasn't having any of it and eventually left the room alongside his press officer.The whole saga kicked off on Thursday at Rockliffe Park, Middlesbrough's training ground, when Boro staff spotted a man capturing photos and videos of their session.When confronted and asked to delete the footage, reveal his identity and explain why he was there, the individual reportedly fled to a nearby indoor area of the complex.Southampton have since been charged by the EFL with breaching their regulations, with the league alleging the man was a member of the Saints' analysis team.An Independent Disciplinary Committee will now decide on the matter, with potential punishments ranging from a simple fine all the way up to expulsion from the competition.When pressed on the allegations during the media conference, Eckert kept his cards close to his chest."I think the club has made a statement yesterday evening and I think that is all there is to say at the moment," he said.Asked whether the incident came as a surprise, he added: "I think we can talk about this, and I know these questions are coming up, but I think that we shouldn't get distracted from the importance of these two big games. These big games always belong to the players, and I think the focus belongs to them."But as reporters continued pushing for answers about the scandal, Eckert grew visibly frustrated.His press officer eventually intervened, making clear no further spygate questions would be entertained unless they related to Tuesday's second leg.When the very next question touched on the controversy again, both men got up and walked out together.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

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Some Delta Air Lines passengers are voicing frustration over upcoming changes to onboard service, with critics questioning whether the move is more about cost-cutting than efficiency.The reaction comes after Delta confirmed it will eliminate food and beverage service on roughly 450 daily flights about 9% of its network. The changes, which take effect May 19, apply to flights of 349 miles or fewer, many of them under an hour in the air."Delta is adjusting onboard beverage service to create a more consistent experience across our network," the airline said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital.MAN SPARKS OUTRAGE BY CALLING 30-MINUTE AIRPORT RIDE FOR HIS WIFE A 'MASSIVE INCONVENIENCE'"Customers traveling in Delta Comfort and Delta Main on flights 350 miles and above will now receive full beverage and snack service," the carrier said."Shorter flights will no longer offer food and beverage service with the exception of Delta First, which always receives full service," the Atlanta-based airline added.On X, some travelers described the move as "nickel-and-diming," while others questioned the removal of even basic drink service.Under the new policy, full drink and snack service including alcoholic beverages and multiple snack options will be available on flights of 350 miles or more, about 14% of Deltas daily departures.Shorter routes that previously offered a limited "express service" will lose those offerings entirely.Delta noted that many of the affected flights already had minimal or no service, particularly those under 250 miles, meaning some routes wont see much change.PASSENGER SAYS AIRLINE FORCED HER TO BUY SECOND SEAT, SPARKING VIRAL DEBATE OVER 'CUSTOMER OF SIZE' POLICYFirst-class passengers will continue to receive full service regardless of flight length."Even on the small number of flights without beverage service, our crew will continue to be visible, available and focused on caring for our customers, like they do on every flight," Delta said.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTERLee Abbamonte, a New York-based travel expert, applauded Delta for the policy update."It's a reasonable decision," he told Fox News Digital. "Short flights don't need food and beverage you're done in an hour and can easily plan ahead or just wait.""Airlines have been cutting costs for years now, and it will only continue as fuel prices continue to rise and competition lessens," he added.CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIESOne passenger on Reddit wrote a post blasting the decision, calling it "zero service."Others passengers took to Twitter to debate the pros and cons."They cant even spot me those three pretzels?" one X user wrote."Theyll charge you for a $9 water but keep paying the big guy like a king," another chimed in."Airlines really out here squeezing every last dollar," a third said.TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ"Airlines could charge for food to offset some of the costs," one suggested.Yet many travelers praised Delta's decision."A 350-mile flight is less than 45 minutes. I dont know why anyone would worry about this at all. They can hardly serve the plane in the amount of time they have between takeoff and landing," an X user said."Its ridiculous to do a beverage service when you only have maybe 20 usable minutes. Half the plane gets served, and the other half write complaint letters when they dont get served," another added.A third agreed with that."On those shorter flights, its already a race to get everyone their small bag of chips. Who cares?"

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