Caitlin Clark’s shooting woes were on full display as the Indiana Fever suffered an 88-66 defeat to the Minnesota Lynx on Thursday night at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Clark, who has been one of the WNBA’s most reliable scorers this season, went 1-for-12 from the field, finishing with just two points and three assists. This marked the lowest shooting percentage of her career at 8.3%, along with career lows in points and three-pointers.
Clark’s performance stood out sharply against her season averages of 22.8 points and 8.5 assists per game, figures that rank her third in scoring and second in assists across the league. The Fever had an opportunity to secure home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs with a win, especially with Minnesota’s star guard Olivia Miles sidelined. Clark was also in contention to claim the top spot on the WNBA assists leaderboard and add to her MVP credentials. Instead, her struggles coincided with a loss that has complicated Indiana’s postseason path.
In the wake of the defeat, the Fever dropped from the No. 5 seed to No. 6 in the standings after the Washington Mystics beat the Chicago Sky. That slip means Indiana will face a tougher opponent in the first round, either the defending champion Las Vegas Aces or the Golden State Valkyries, rather than the lower-seeded Atlanta Dream. Adding to the Fever’s difficulties, All-Star forward Aliyah Boston left the game with an injury and did not return.
The reaction from fans on social media was swift and harsh. One user on X wrote, “Can we acknowledge that Caitlin Clark vs good teams isn’t the same Caitlin Clark vs bad teams. MVP is a serious award. And you can’t play around by awarding it to bad teams merchants.” Another added, “Caitlin Clark better not be on any All-WNBA First Team ballots.” Others pointed to Clark’s inconsistency in big games, with one fan noting she is “currently 1-5” in crucial matchups and questioning her MVP status after a poor finish to the regular season.
Criticism also focused on the Fever’s failure to capitalize on the chance to lock down home-court advantage. “You cannot be the MVP as a 6th seed after squandering a wide-open shot at home-court advantage,” a fan commented. “Going 1-2 down the stretch while shooting a combined 21.9% from the field (7-of-32) in those two crucial blowout losses is the exact opposite of an MVP closing argument.” Another user contrasted Clark’s night with the expected performance of A’ja Wilson, calling her “the REAL MVP” and dismissing the Fever as a “fraudulent playoff team.”
The game marked Clark’s lowest scoring output since her rookie season, when she tallied three points in a loss against the New York Liberty. The Fever had already clinched a playoff spot before Thursday’s game, but the manner of their loss and the impact on seeding will be a concern. How the team and Clark respond in the postseason remains to be seen.
According to Yahoo Sports.