WNBA Star Sends Clear Caitlin Clark Message After Fever Loss

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Rodney Knuppel | Last updated Jun 20, 2025 12:45 PM ET

There’s no question that Coach Natalie Nakase and her staff had a plan, and they stuck to it Thursday night. In what could be considered the biggest win in franchise history, the Golden State Valkyries defeated the Indiana Fever 88-77 at home.

The win snapped Indiana’s two-game winning streak and moved Golden State to 6-6 on the season, placing them fourth in the Western Conference standings.

Defensively, the Valkyries were locked in from the start. They held Indiana star Caitlin Clark to just 11 points on 3-for-14 shooting while keeping her under pressure all night.

After the game, the Moreau Sports Media Production Company caught a key quote from the Valkyries' guard Tiffany Hayes on the team’s strategy against Clark:

"We just followed the gameplan, coach gave us a great plan…we know she (CC) is a 3-level scorer…we knew it was a great team effort today…. A great team defensive win."

Tiffany Hayes on Caitlin Clark

"We just followed the gameplan, coach gave us a great plan…we know she (CC) is a 3 level scorer…we knew it was a great team effort today…. A great team defensive win."
— Moreau Sports Media Prod Co. (@MoreauSportsCo) June 20, 2025

Hayes came off the bench and was one of five Valkyries to score in double figures. The veteran guard, who played her college ball at UConn, logged a team-high 32 minutes.

Kayla Thornton led Golden State with 16 points, followed by Chloe Bibby with 12, Veronica Burton with 11 and Laeticia Amihere with 10.

Nakase continues to make history. She became the first head coach in the Valkyries franchise history and was also the first Asian-American head coach in WNBA history when she debuted. A former 5-foot-1 walk-on guard at UCLA, her journey has been anything but ordinary.

Golden State will stay home for the second of five straight home games. It will host the Connecticut Sun on Sunday before hitting the road again on July 5 in Minnesota.

As for Indiana, they also sit at 6-6. The Fever will stay on the road, facing the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday and the Seattle Storm on Tuesday.

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

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