On Thursday night, Caitlin Clark faced the media, analyzing her performance in the Indiana Fever’s 86-84 overtime defeat against defending champions Las Vegas. She acknowledged the eight turnovers she committed and the two critical missed free throws towards the end of regulation. Clark, named earlier that day to the FIBA Women’s World Cup team, accepted responsibility for the loss. “Obviously, it just can’t happen,” she stated. “Those are free throws I usually make. Missing them was frustrating because making even one could have created a two-possession lead.”
Despite scoring 20 points and providing eight assists, Clark focused on the errors that haunted her, especially after losing a substantial 20-point first-half advantage. The fever’s three-point lead dwindled in the final seconds of the fourth quarter, and another two-point lead slipped away at the end of overtime.
I didn’t know we scored nine points in the third quarter, but you know we still battled, still fought, we put ourselves in position to win the game,Clark said.And then, honestly, it was me that made the costly errors for us. So that’s on me to help us win. That’s my job. That’s what I get paid to do.
Jackie Young exploited the Fever’s vulnerabilities by scoring a franchise-record 15 consecutive points bridging the second and third quarters. Chelsea Gray capitalized on the Fever’s mistakes with a buzzer-beating three-pointer, tied the game at 75 after Clark’s missed free throws, and later sealed the victory following Clark’s final turnover. Clark’s performance was marred by shooting 7 of 20 from the field with only 2 of 10 successful three-point attempts, adding four fouls and managing just three rebounds.
It wasn’t solely Clark’s responsibility, though. Kelsey Mitchell, the WNBA Player of the Month for July, missed a key free throw with 9.2 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Consequently, instead of preventing a tying three-point attempt or securing the loose ball, Gray seized the moment to force overtime.
Coach Stephanie White highlighted that Aliyah Boston executed an intelligent move in attempting to collect a loose ball. However, the team conceded 18 points off turnovers. White also admitted to a strategic misstep by not calling a timeout during overtime when the team struggled to execute a shot, resulting in Clark’s turnover.
White remarked on the importance of maintaining players’ confidence despite these setbacks. “Players already hate that they miss free throws,” she said. “You’ve just got to keep them positive in those moments.”