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Caitlin Clark couldn’t have asked for a much better 2025 WNBA preseason as the Indiana Fever finished a perfect 3-0.
On Saturday afternoon, the Fever capped off their preseason schedule with an 81-76 win over Brittney Griner and the Atlanta Dream, but it may have come with a minor cost as newcomer Sophie Cunningham went down with an injury.
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Griner also played just two minutes before exiting the game, but fortunately for Atlanta, her departure was for rest, not due to injury.
However, another Dream player did not have the same luck. Just a couple of hours following the conclusion of the game, Atlanta guard Ashley Joens was released.
“The Atlanta Dream have waived guard Ashley Joens,” Atlanta Dream public relations wrote on X at 6:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.
After spending five years with the Iowa State Cyclones, Joens went on to be the Dallas Wings’ No. 19 pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft. Her initial stint with Dallas didn’t last long as she was cut on June 23, 2023, before signing an emergency waiver contract with the Las Vegas Aces just one month later.
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Joens only played two games with the Aces in 2023, before rejoining the Wings on a seven-day contract just a couple of weeks later. She finished the 2023 season with the Phoenix Mercury, totaling 19 games played on the year (all teams). She did not play in the WNBA in 2024.
On March 7, Joens signed a training camp contract with the Dream. She played in two preseason contests in 2025, averaging 8.0 minutes per game.
Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin ClarkDale Zanine-Imagn Images
Against Clark and the Fever, Joens had her best game of the preseason, recording five points on 1-of-4 shooting and one assist. She did not score a single point in the Dream’s preseason opener against the Washington Mystics, an 80-70 win.
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Following the game’s conclusion, both Indiana and Atlanta have capped off their preseason play. The Fever will open the regular season against the Chicago Sky on May 17, while the Dream will battle the Mystics on May 16.
Related: Brittney Griner Leaves Game Within Minutes Against Caitlin Clark
