Ever since the WNBA All-Star break, the Indiana Fever had a phenomenal run going on. Ahead of their highly anticipated matchup versus the Minnesota Lynx, the Fever had a 7-1 record.
The primary driving force behind this fantastic run was none other than the rise of Caitlin Clark in her rookie year. While leading the Fever's playoff push, Clark also solidified herself as the primary candidate to win the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year.
Many expected Indiana to register a famous win over Minnesota, considering the franchise winning streak. However, behind a late run, the game finished with a score of 99-88 in favor of the Lynx.
Clark opens up on losing versus Lynx
The Fever held a five-point lead heading into halftime. However, the team simply lacked defensive intensity in the second half of the game. As a result, the Lynx dominated the matchup and ended up with an 11-point win over the Fever.
During the postgame conference, Clark took the blame for the defeat and criticized her performance versus Minnesota.
"Honestly, I thought we played really good in the fourth," Clark said. "My turnover in transition is what I felt like really kinda ended the momentum for us. I think we were 78-77, I got a steal and a block and we are running transition… honestly just made a bad read."
Clark finished the game with 25 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists in 36 minutes of playing time. However, CC lacked efficiency against the Lynx as she shot an underwhelming 8-21 from the field.
The Fever were outplayed in the third quarter
As we mentioned earlier, the Fever held a five-point lead at halftime. Unfortunately, the team got loose on the defensive end of the court. It led to the Lynx dominating the Fever in the third quarter. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA spoke about her team's performance in the quarter as well.
"I think it starts defensively and get a stop," Clark added. "It's hard to win a game when they outscore you by 17 points in a quarter… it's impressive that we got it down to one point."
Despite cutting the deficit to one point in the fourth quarter, Bridget Carlton's three 3-pointers in the game's final four minutes blew away Indiana's chances of making a comeback.
Following the defeat, the Fever fell to an 18-17 record. They still hold the sixth seed in the table and will play their first playoffs in eight years. The question remains whether Clark can lead her team to a deep postseason run in her rookie year.
Related: "I'm not always used to being wide open sometimes" - Caitlin Clark explains why she is shooting poorly from the 3-point line
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