After the Indiana Fever's nail-biting 85-83 loss to the Seattle Storm, No. 1 overall pick Caitlin Clark is holding onto the positives. Despite the team’s 0-5 start to the season, Clark is optimistic about the progress they’ve made. "You’re never happy to lose," she said. "It's not fun, but at the same time there’s just a lot of things to build on. I’m just trying to be as positive as possible, continue to learn, continue to stack days. I know that first win will be right around the corner."
Highlights from the Game
- Clark's All-Around Performance: Clark had her best all-around game in the WNBA, racking up 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists. After a slow start, she caught fire in the second half, notably during a stretch late in the third quarter where she tallied six points and an assist in just over a minute.
- Dramatic Final Minute: The last minute of the game was a rollercoaster. Despite a turnover and a blocked 3-pointer, Clark’s Fever still had a chance to win. Kristy Wallace’s inbound pass was a bit off, and Clark’s last attempt to teammate Aliyah Boston ended in a jump ball and a missed half-court heave at the buzzer.
Reflecting on that wild finish, Clark said, "Probably the longest minute of a basketball game I’ve been a part of in a long time. We definitely gave ourselves a chance, but at the same time there were some little things that we shot ourselves in the foot."
Electrifying Moments
- Clark’s Highlight Reel Play: One of the game’s most exciting moments was Clark’s behind-the-back dribble into a pull-up 3-pointer. When asked if this was a case of "the Iowa Caitlin came out," she smiled and admitted, "It's a process of getting there to be able to do that the whole game and trying to navigate that with my teammates."
- Sellout Crowd: The energy in the arena was electric, with 18,343 fans, the largest crowd in Seattle franchise history. They witnessed Clark’s impressive performance and a season-high 32 points from Jewell Loyd, making it a thrilling night for everyone.
Looking Forward
Despite the tough losses, including a narrow four-point defeat against Connecticut just days before, Clark sees signs of progress. "These two definitely hurt the most," she said. "We’re, what, six points away from being 2-3 instead of 0-5? It’s that close."
Clark is focusing on the small improvements that can turn close games into wins. "There’s so many instances of going back and watching the film of like little things that you can easily fix and clean up that would go a really long way, and possibly it wouldn’t even come down to one possession," she noted. "I think you have to find confidence in that, especially at this point, being 0-5. If you just get upset by it, I don’t think that’s going to be too beneficial for us."
Clark is confident that the Fever’s first win is just around the corner. "For sure, I think that's when I'm at my best, is being a little bit more aggressive and creating my shot. I was able to create a couple of 3s there that kind of got me going. I was able to find Temi [Fagbenle] running the floor a few times. I think the more I can play with more pace, that's when I'm definitely more successful."
Stay tuned, because the Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark are just getting started!
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