WNBA Rookie Sends Clear Caitlin Clark Message After Sun Defeat Fever

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Robert Marvi | Last updated May 30, 2025 11:39 PM ET

The Indiana Fever lost their second game in a row without Caitlin Clark when they fell to the Connecticut Sun by a final score of 85-83.

Clark is out with a quad injury, and without her, the Fever fell behind by as many as 15 points in the fourth quarter. They mounted a rally in the final minutes to make things competitive, but Kelsey Mitchell's potential game-tying jumper just before time expired was no good.

Sun guard Saniya Rivers, who had 12 points and six assists, admitted that her team wanted to take advantage of Clark's absence.

"We knew Caitlin wasn't playing…we really wanted to exploit that," she said.

Saniya Rivers

"We knew Caitlin wasn't playing…we really wanted to exploit that."
— Moreau Sports Media Prod Co. (@MoreauSportsCo) May 31, 2025

On Friday, Aliyah Boston led Indiana in scoring with 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field, and she also dished off eight assists. But without Clark, it lacked that game-breaking threat that could at least keep things close throughout.

Indiana came into this season considered a legitimate championship contender, especially since it had brought in veteran two-time All-Star forward Natasha Howard and six-time All-Star wing DeWanna Bonner.

But Clark is expected to miss a total of about two weeks due to her injury, and her absence could put a sizable dent in their record.

Clark, of course, was last year's Rookie of the Year and led the WNBA in assists. She is credited with putting women's basketball on the map of relevancy, first at Iowa and then as a pro rookie in 2024.

The Fever will have the weekend off before hosting the Washington Mystics on Tuesday.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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