Caitlin Clark's flamethrower stretch just lit the whole WNBA world on fire

Proceeding with caution was the rational approach to hyping up Caitlin Clark's return from a five-game injury absence. It was inevitable that a player coming off of a quadricep injury would need time before they could truly return to the level expected of them.

As has always been the case with Clark, however, expectations were soon blown out of the water by a first half that you need to see to believe.

Clark returned to the lineup against the New York Liberty, which entered the clash with Indiana in unrivaled form. They were not only 9-0, but blowing opponents out on a regular basis. All of that seemed to imply that Clark would struggle in her first game back.

Clark quickly scoffed at the idea that patience was necessary, dropping three straight threes from insane range that had the entire state of Indiana on its feet.

It was one of an abundance of highlights from a first half during which Clark picked the Liberty's defense apart with a performance for the ages.

Caitlin Clark drops 25 first-half points vs. Liberty in electric display

Clark finished the first half against the Liberty with 25 points, five rebounds, three assists, and a block. She shot 9-of-13 from the field and 6-of-9 from beyond the arc, doubling New York's three-point conversions on her own.

Even opponent Breanna Stewart, one of the greatest players of all time, had to give Clark credit for the otherworldly form that she was in.

Stewart wasn't alone in her reaction, as future Hall of Fame NBA point guard Chris Paul shared the excitement over the insanity of what Clark is bringing to the table.

It's rare that a player electrifies a crowd in the way that Clark has consistently proven capable of doing. Comparisons have been made, of course, but there may only be one name worth mentioning after watching her first-half dissection of the Liberty.

Sam Amick of The Athletic said it perfectly when he referenced one of the few players who has shot the ball the way Clark is able to: Stephen Curry.

The fact that Clark is doing this against the best team in the WNBA can't be dismissed or overstated. She's going toe-to-toe with a truly dominant force, yet has managed to look like the real unstoppable entity on the court.

The WNBA has played home to no shortage of legendary talents, and Clark is showing why she's well on her way to joining the all-time greats with displays of this nature..