
Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever are coming off a 90-88 loss to the Golden State Valkyries on Thursday. The home team avenged its May 22 defeat despite Clark’s 16 points and six assists in the rematch.
Indiana suffered its third loss in the first seven games of the season. Many considered the team one of the title favorites but it has failed to start the season strong.
Clark averages a career-high 22.5 points; however, she has struggled with efficiency from the field. She also needs more teammates to step up outside of Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell to string more wins together.
Clark shot just 3-for-12 against the Valkyries and has knocked down 41.0% of her attempts this year. She and the Fever will look to right the ship on Saturday when they take on the Portland Fire at Moda Center.
The two-time All-Star was absent from Indiana’s postgame presser. Clark has been a staple in postgame availability regardless of results. Initially, reports claimed she declined to speak with the media, but Fever reporter Robin Lundberg shared the real reason.
“Deleted my previous post to correct for the record: Clark didn’t skip postgame presser since she wasn’t one of the two players chosen (she usually is),” Lundberg reported. “But she should have been made available after request per policy.”
Clark’s postgame interviews have been a must-watch, and many were surprised not to see her on the podium on Thursday. She is not known for dodging reporters, and she will likely be requested in succeeding games.
Indiana head coach Stephanie White, rookie Raven Johnson and star center Aliyah Boston fielded questions in the media room.
The 5-foot-8 rookie guard delivered her best game as a pro, finishing with 16 points on 7-for-10 shooting. She logged 21 minutes of playing time after averaging just 12.5 in the first six games. Her performance could lead to a bigger role moving forward, which could potentially give Clark and the starting unit more rest.
The Fever will return home following the Fire game to face Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream on June 4. They will then embark on a two-game road trip against the New York Liberty and Washington Mystics.
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