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Caitlin Clark believes the Indiana Fever are much better than their record suggests. While a 2-2 start is not a letdown, Clark could not help but feel frustrated after the Fever's two-point loss to the New York Liberty.
The Liberty dominated the first half, going up by as much as 16. Indiana controlled much of the second half, outscoring New York 30-13 in the third quarter and taking a 12-point lead midway through the final frame. In the end, Clark admitted how poorly her team played in portions of the game, but could not help herself from feeling frustrated by how the Fever's luck has fared.
“We are two possessions from being 4-0,” Clark said in her post-game presser. “But there were so many little areas of this game we could have improved. Our defense to start this game was poor… It definitely stings, but this is what's going to make us better at the end of the year.”
Clark was especially annoyed by the game's final play. Down by two, she attempted to isolate against Liberty point guard Natasha Cloud, who stripped the ball out of her hands at the buzzer. Clark claims Cloud held her arm, but there was no clear angle of the action shown on the CBS broadcast.
Clark ended the game with 18 points, five rebounds and 10 assists. She finally ended her brutal three-point dry spell with a step-back and-one over Rebekah Gardner. Clark dug deep into her bag a minute later with another step-back triple, this time from 33 feet at the third quarter buzzer.
Liberty flex championship muscles against Fever
While Clark remained frustrated about the loss, she acknowledged how close Indiana came to beating the defending champions. The Fever nearly pulled off an inspiring comeback against the undefeated Liberty, but ultimately fell short as New York's experience and veteran savviness prevailed.
The Liberty, which added depth with Cloud in the offseason, had four of their five starters top 16 points. The only exception was Leonie Fiebich, who left the game after just seven minutes and did not return.
Jonquel Jones, the 2024 WNBA Finals MVP, led the way with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Jones engineered the Liberty's comeback in the fourth quarter, scoring nine points of their 16-2 run to reclaim the lead. Sabrina Ionescu added 23 points, five rebounds and four assists. Breanna Stewart and Cloud each chipped in 16 points, as the latter poured in an all-around performance with seven rebounds, six assists and five steals.
