It was a tough loss on Monday for the Indiana Fever, who still remain winless after their first four games of the season. The team fell to the Connecticut Sun in a clash that went down to the wire. Following the game, Fever rookie Caitlin Clark spoke about why the endgame result “hurts a lot.”
“…I think you can see the progress that this team is making and that's why this one hurts a lot, because we were right there,” Clark said. “We had plenty of opportunities to open the game and then you don't…It's just some little things that we do to ourselves.”
The number one overall pick then enumerated the statistical areas where Indiana was outperformed by Connecticut. Looking at the numbers, the Fever interestingly had a much better field goal and three-point percentage than the Sun. Additionally, there wasn't much of a difference in rebounding. However, two glaring differences were seen in the form of turnovers and fouls.
Indiana gave up the ball 17 times, a far cry compared to Connecticut's eight turnovers. As for the fouls, the Fever tallied a total of 24, while the Sun had 13 . Indiana's constant fouling played a big part in the free-throw disparity. Their opponents shot a total of 30 attempts from the charity stripe. On the other hand, Clark and Co. only attempted a total of 13 free throws.
Caitlin Clark and the Fever fall on Monday
It was a tightly contested outing, with both teams' biggest leads amounting to only single digits. It all boiled down to the closing seconds, where the Fever found themselves down by two with 11.1 left to play. Unfortunately, the team wasn't able to convert on a game-tying basket, and their opponents eventually sealed the deal with free throws. As the dust settled, the Sun took home an 88-84 win.
Clark finished her night with 17 points and five assists. She hurt her ankle early in the game, but was able to return and play the rest of the way.
Despite the heartbreak, she made sure to commend the spectators in Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
“Yeah, I thought our crowd was great. They rallied behind us; they gave us some great energy. I hope they continue to comeback cause it's gonna be a fun season. We gotta remember we played two of the top teams in the league, and we were right there with the Sun tonight, and really had a few opportunities to take the lead and give ourselves a chance,” she added.
Clark currently averages 17 points, 5.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game. She hasn't had quite the WNBA entrance that many expected, but one could argue that the Fever's prized rookie is still undergoing an adjustment period. As for how long that will take, it's uncertain. Some rookies adjust quickly to the pros, while others take more time.
Nevertheless, only four games have passed, and there are many opportunities for Clark to get her groove back in the coming months.
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