Sunday was a day of mixed emotions for the Indiana Fever. Rookie Caitlin Clark was celebrated before the team’s first playoff game since 2016 after Clark won Rookie of the Year and a host of other honors. Those honors also included finishing fourth in MVP voting, which is quite the impressive feat for a rookie.
“I mean, it’s cool. But at the same time, I don’t really care,” Clark said to reporters. “You know, my life is very unaffected by that. I’m just going to try to go out there and help my team. Obviously our goal was to get to the playoffs, but I have a belief that we can come in here and we can win this series.”
If you asked Clark this question on a different day, you’d probably get a different answer. Clark was clearly locked in and focused on playing the Sun later that day, so it makes sense she would downplay the importance of the awards.
“Approaching it one game at a time. I think that’s where my focus is,” Clark continued. “But obviously it’s pretty night and day from where we first started. I feel like that’s a lot and something to be proud of and find confidence in.”
Unfortunately, the Fever did not take care of business against the Sun on Sunday. They suffered a blowout loss 93-69 that sets up a “win or go home” game on Wednesday.
Fever preparing for must-win Game 2 against Sun on Wednesday
Mark Smith-Imagn Images
The Indiana Fever need to come up with a way to win against the Sun on Wednesday. If they can’t, their season will be over.
Indiana had plenty of opportunities to make Game 1 much closer, but they just could not get their three-point shots to land. The Fever shot 6-of-28 from behind the three-point line, a dreadful 21.4% compared to the Sun’s 50%.
“My shot felt right there,” Clark later said. “That’s why it’s so frustrating… when it feels so good.”
She finished 4-of-17 from the field, scoring 11 points and eight assists. Her shot may have felt good, but it just was not her game.
If the Fever want a chance at winning on Wednesday, they will need to shut down Marina Mabrey. The newcomer to Connecticut was the hero on Sunday, stepping in for an injured Ty Harris and delivering 27 points off the bench. This led all scorers in the game.
Fever head coach Christie Sides summarized the situation bluntly after the game.
“We’ve got to be better defensively,” Sides said.
Fever fans are hoping that Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell can lift the team to victory on Wednesday. If that happens, Indiana forces a critical Game 3 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
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