Cailtin Clark finished with 15 points and 10 assists against the Las Vegas Aces this afternoon in Game one of the playoffs, but it clearly was a poor performance by the Fever and Clark. It was unlike the WNBA superstar to have such a poor performance with 6 of 18 and six turnovers in a game. The Indiana Fever collectively looked lost and outplayed by the Aces. Now, they face an uphill battle with the series moving back to Indiana, with a must win for the Fever in the best of three series.
The Indiana Fever need to put Game one in a box and ship it to Timbuktu if they want to stay alive in the playoffs. The four-time MVP A’ja Wilson had an insane game of 38 points and breezed by the Fever with no problem. Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell need to reset for Game two when the series shifts back to Indiana Tuesday night. Kelsey Mitchell has been a force for the Fever this year with her 20-point streak in 21 games that ended August 21st.
The Indiana Fever did have some positive come out of this game with other players scoring points such as Sophie Cunningham and Raven Johnson combining 27 points. But the big three: Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston for the Fever need to come back to their winning ways and big performances to save the Fever.
Head Coach Stephanie White could not possibly be happy with that blowout loss 102-85 when the Indiana Fever have scored an average of 96.5 points a game. White knows this is why the Las Vegas Aces are defending champions for a reason. They understand the pressure and the level of playoff difficulty. She will need to gather in her team to have fewer mistakes if they want to have a chance in extending their season. It would be embarrassing if the Fever have another blowout loss at home to end things.
Caitlin Clark even mentioned in the post-game interview that the Fevers performance was “sloppy” and she thought that what the Fever were doing was not working. So, it will be back to the drawing board for the Indiana Fever, and it better be a quick one to slow down the four-time MVP Wilson.
Was todays game concerning for Clark or the Fever? Caitlin Clark has played a lot of basketball this season with not only WNBA games but playing in the FIBA World Cup, which the United States defeated France. She has not had a break like other players in the WNBA that did not play in the tournament.
Regardless, Clark will be one of the best WNBA players in the league. It’s only her third season in the WNBA and her first real season where she played all 44 games. Next season the WNBA will expand to a 50-game season. It will take experience and tenacity for the Fever to become a top team in the WNBA.
Regardless of Caitlin Clark having a poor performance today against the Las Vegas Aces, I whole heartedly agree feel she will bounce back in front of the home crowd of the Indiana Fever. Clark is one of the best three-point shooters in the league. She has nothing to prove to anyone but to herself that she can do it.
The Indiana Fever are 28-15 at home that is a solid advantage for them and other than Clark, Mitchell and Boston their other star players Lexi Hull, Sophie Cunningham and Monique Billings will come alive for the Fever. The Aces will be tough to beat but the Fever need to minimize turnovers and focus on their game that is fast paced and quick transition.
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