The WNBA season has been a mix of frustration and patience for the Indiana Fever. Their draft pick, Caitlin Clark from Iowa, has been a game-changer, but she's also adapting to the league.
In short, the entire Fever team is adjusting to playing with one another. And patiently waiting to see the progress come together.
May 28: Los Angeles Sparks at Indiana
This was the second time these two teams faced each other this season; the first time, the Fever scored their first win of the season.
Except Los Angeles had the upper hand this time around at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
In what could be considered her best game yet of her rookie season, Clark showcased her potential by dropping an impressive 30 points, dishing six assists and grabbing five rebounds. Despite the loss, Clark's performance was a highlight of the game.
Veterans from the Sparks were the big players, and Kia Nurse and Aari McDonald both showed up. Nurse scored 22 points, while McDonald added 21 points. Dearica Hamby contributed 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for the Sparks.
It was a rally of a game where the Sparks came through in the last few minutes.
What caught the media's attention most in this matchup was when McDonald pounced toward Clark to guard her between free-throw attempts. McDonald mistakenly rushed to defend Clark while she had one more free throw left. It was an accurate representation of the crowd Clark draws on the court with her opponents.
The Fever struggled offensively, shooting just 38.2% from the field. Even though the Sparks committed 19 turnovers, their 3-point shooting was impeccable, as they made a season-best 14. While the Fever started the third quarter on an 11-0 run, it didn't last long, as the Sparks went on a run in the final quarter.
Aaliyah Boston faced foul trouble throughout the game but scored 17 points and six rebounds. Kelsey Mitchell continued her standout season with 15 points.
Forward Temi Fagbenle suffered a left foot injury during the game. The team announced that she would miss at least 2-3 weeks. Fagbenle has averaged 9.1 points and 5.6 rebounds in 23.1 minutes per game.
Even though the Fever had their star players scoring big numbers, it wasn't enough. The Sparks defeated the Fever on their home court 88-82.
May 30: Seattle Storm at Indiana
The Fever faced the red-hot Seattle Storm, who are led by four WNBA All-Stars, in a game in which the Fever struggled to keep up with the pace.
Jewell Loyd scored 22 points, Skylar Diggins-Smith added 18 points and nine assists for the Storm, and Nneka Ogwumike added 17. It was an all-around outstanding performance for Seattle, as the team scored a season-high 103 points.
Fever coach Christie Sides kept Clark in the game for all but four seconds. Clark made the best of her time on the floor, scoring 20 points and nine assists.
It was a close game at halftime as Seattle led 47-41, but the Fever defense fell apart at the beginning of the second half as the Storm went on a 12-2 run. The Storm sank 12 of 17 shots in the third quarter and outscored the Fever 34-18.
The Fever's defense was the main reason they could not keep up with the Storm. The team committed 13 turnovers and 16 personal fouls. It also didn't help that the Storm shot 56% from the field and 42.1% from deep.
NaLyssa Smith found herself back in the starting lineup due to Fagbenle’s injury. Smith scored a team-high 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
“Our goal is to win here,” Smith said postgame. “I’m just ready to win. It’s not a good feeling, losing all these games.”
After falling apart defensively in the second half, the Fever fell 103-88 to the Storm.
June 1: Chicago Sky at Indiana
After four consecutive losses at home, the Fever finally broke the streak.
Clark faced her college rivals Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso as the Chicago Sky traveled to Indiana. It was Cardoso’s pro debut in a sellout crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. It also was the Fever's first game of the WNBA Commissioners Cup.
Mitchell dropped 18 points, Smith had 17 points and nine rebounds, Kristy Wallace and Boston each had 10, and Clark finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and six assists. It was an all-around effort for the Fever to put on a show for the crowd.
The game featured three of the top seven picks from this year's draft, most importantly, the top three players in a rookie class that has changed the WNBA this season. But this game also meant a lot for Clark as she was seeking revenge on two of the players that prevented her from winning a title at Iowa for the past two seasons.
Clark did get her revenge, but she also got caught on the other side of some cheap shots by players of the Sky.
Before an inbound pass during the third quarter, Sky’s Chennedy Carter got a shoulder shot at Clark, knocking her directly to the ground, which only ended up being called an away-from-the-ball foul and nothing more.
After the game, Carter refused to answer any questions about Clark. Reese also did not take any questions from reporters following the game.
“I wasn't expecting it,” Clark said initially after the game. “It is what it is. It's a physical game. Go make the free throw and execute on offense, and I feel like that's kind of what we did.”
Reese finished with eight points and 13 rebounds, while Cardoso had 11 points and six rebounds in her WNBA debut. Carter finished the game with a team-high 19 points and six assists.
Indiana went on a 9-0 run sparked by Clark before halftime to give the Fever a four-point lead at the halfway point. Chicago charged back early in the second half and continued to rally with the Fever as the third quarter went on.
The Sky closed the game on a 12-3 run, creeping in on a 10-point deficit that the Fever held. Marina Mabrey had a chance to tie the game at the free-throw line in the closing seconds but failed to make both shots.
It allowed Clark to chuck the ball high into the air as time expired, finally giving the Fever the 71-70 win against the Sky.
June 2: Indiana at New York Liberty
In her early games in the W, Clark has had some particular “welcome to the league” moments. But Sunday night's game against the New York Liberty might be her “welcome to the league” game. Clark had just one basket and three points in likely her worst game of her pro career. She was tightly guarded by Betnijah Laney-Hamilton and Kayla Thorton all night long.
And once again for the Fever, they struggled, mightily. Laney-Hamilton scored 20 points and Jonquel Jones had 18 for the Liberty.
It was a brutal stretch in the Fever’s season after they started with 11 games in 20 days. It was also their third time playing New York in the start of the season. The Liberty took advantage of the worn out Fever grabbing a 31-13 lead after just one quarter. By halftime, New York led 55-37. Indiana was able to get within 12 early in the third quarter until the Liberty ran away with the game.
Mitchell led Indiana in scoring, dropping 21 points. Smith had 17 points and eight rebounds, except the Fever shot 37% from the field and 25% from long range. On the other hand the Liberty scored the most points in a game this season as they shot 57.6% from the field. All five of Liberty's starters had at least four assists as the entire team also combined to have 30.
Towards the end of the brutal knockdown by the Liberty, Boston and Clark both left the game — Clark due to an apparent ear discomfort and Boston after an awkward fall. Both of the No. 1 picks did not return to the game after heading to the locker room.
Next up for the Fever is a much-needed rest for the week until next Friday when they travel to Washington to take on the Mystics.
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