Fever's Caitlin Clark airs major frustration in WNBA Playoffs loss vs. Sun
UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Little to nothing went the Indiana Fever 's way on Sunday afternoon at Mohegan Sun Arena, getting routed 93-69 by the Connecticut Sun in Game 1. Seven minutes into the contest, Fever head coach Christie Sides received only her second technical foul of the season. And only three minutes into the second half, Caitlin Clark's visible frustration surfaced.
Clark missed her eighth consecutive 3-pointer of the afternoon, which led to transition points for the Sun. Sides called timeout, and when Clark got to the bench, she wound-up her shooting arm to attack the seats. After Clark smacked the frustration out, she scored eight fast points. But the two triples Clark did get to sink during that outburst were her only of the day, shooting 2-for-13.
"My shot felt right there," Clark later said. "That's why it's so frustrating... when it feels so good."
Clark shot 4-for-17 overall, scoring 11 points with eight assists. It definitely wasn't her best.
Only 84 seconds into the game, Connecticut guard DiJonai Carrington incidentally poked Caitlin Clark in her right eye, as the all-time single-season assist leader dished the ball. The refs didn't call anything on Carrington (who later had her contacts knocked out to no whistle, either). Clark laid on the court, and though she stayed in, her eye blackened throughout the course of the game.
"Obviously got me pretty good in the eye," Clark said. "I don't think it affected me honestly. I felt like I got good shots. They just didn't go down... I got some really good looks... took care of the ball better than I usually do... we were right there, I felt like we just played a crappy game. The flow of the game was really bad... the clock getting messed up. It was one thing after the next."
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What Caitlin Clark is referring to is times in the first half when the Fever had possession of the ball and were interrupted by the clocks not operating correctly. In the grand scheme of things, this surely didn't impact much. Indiana lost by 24 points. But it was the perfect sign to indicate that the Fever's give-and-go offense was nullified all afternoon by going 6-for-28 beyond the arc.
Shots sometimes don't go in. And it was the first playoff minutes for all of the Fever's starters.
In hindsight, that's not surprising, as aching as it could be for seven-year veteran Kelsey Mitchell.
"Turning the page man," Mitchell said. "I like to think every time I step out on the floor I give my best. I think that our team tried to give our best... I think our 12 should be aggressive to start the game... that's our big step, is to make them take tough shots all game. I think we could've done better in that area... I take it on the chin... I'm excited to hash out the details, look at the film."
The other problem was, right as Clark began to finally get it going in the third quarter, the Sun's Marina Mabrey sank back-to-back three-pointers and never turned back. Mabrey missing the bulk of Connecticut's shots in the second quarter is what kept the Fever in it. The Sun's July trade acquisition played 32 minutes in place of an injured Ty Harris. She led all scorers with 27 points.
That's the most by any bench player in WNBA playoffs history. Tough luck for Indiana.
Fever unable to maintain pace, Damiris Dantas plays starting minutes
Right from tip-off, playoff basketball kicked in. Baskets were scrapped for, players almost always pleaded to refs for calls they didn't get, and the Sun's best defensive rating in the league didn't make it easy for Clark out on the perimeter. Connecticut's guards and forwards were in sync on when to blitz Clark and when to turtle to prevent dribble-drives. The methodical scheme worked.
"We didn't play to the level that we're capable of playing," Clark said.
Sure, the Sun did permit Fever forward Aliyah Boston to take post-jumpers, and most went in. But Connecticut's three-headed frontcourt scored more points than Boston and Damiris Dantas, the Fever's de-facto starting forward. The key was to mitigate Clark's, Mitchell's and Lexie Hull's 3-point making capabilities. Clark said that she and the team got good looks. At points, they did.
But most shots were contested or rushed. Connecticut deserves credit. Even if the Fever shot 50% beyond the arc, the imaginary score would be tied 93-93. And 50% is generous. It goes back to the point that when Clark, Mitchell and Boston, and even toss Hull in there too, are on, they're one of the fastest, most dynamic and outright enjoyable offenses to watch in the league.
When they're off, the costs of three-point misses add up fast. Dantas shot 2-for-3 beyond the arc and played about 24 minutes off the bench, while starting forward NaLyssa Smith didn't play more than 10. Dantas stretches the floor with her shot-making and brings size to match the Sun. Sunday's game leaves many questions as to the adjustments the Fever will make for Game 2.
"We've got to be better defensively," Sides said.
