A slow Indiana Fever, after the Olympics break, found the formula for winning. They became one of the hottest teams in the entire WNBA after the short time off, with every player gelling immaculately. Winning back-to-back games after a huge slump in the opening week definitely gave the young squad much-needed confidence. But that was before the Fever stepped on the hardwood for their maiden playoff game since 2016. Led by their golden rookie and Iowa’s sensation, Caitlin Clark.

Taking the court against the third-seeded Connecticut Sun, Clark failed to impress her fans with her three-point shooting skill on Sunday at the Mohegan Sun Arena. The 22-year-old went for 2 of 13 from the deep, 4 of 17 from the field. This has put the Fever’s chances of winning the first-round series in danger after the 93-69 road defeat. Noticing in what many allege could be Clark’s rough patch, a fan expressed his frustration on Dave Portnoy’s halftime game analysis, opining “Caitlin can’t hit a f***ing shot. Games over.”

Portnoy, who has previously demonstrated that he is a Clark fan, looked too worried giving the halftime update. Talking about Clark’s dry three-pointer tally, Portnoy pointed out that Clark hits “90% of the time” but in this game was finding it difficult to get going. Similarly, another Fever star Kelsey Mitchell was not having the best shooting day, as she too could only hit 2 out of the 10 three-pointers she had attempted up until the end of the third quarter. And as per Portnoy, 2 of Fever’s best players losing their form was a big setback for the team.

Meanwhile, this came on the same day that Clark had won a huge honor. The Iowa-alum was unanimously named the AP ROTY on Sunday as the voters acknowledged her exceptional gameplay that pushed the Fever into the playoffs. Though Clark had started on a low note, she, after the Olympics break, made her intentions of dominating the hardwood clear whenever she got a chance. Apart from breaking the three-pointer rookie and single-season assists tally, the point guard was found deserving of the ROTY award. But alas, this time the Fever rookie couldn’t stand tall when the moment demanded. As a result, the Fever had a disappointing start to their playoff dream.

At the end of the fourth quarter, the Sun trumped them by a 93-69 margin and Clark could only score 11 points with 4 rebounds and 8 assists. A major of the Sun’s lead came when Clark was on the court as she found it difficult to match the offensive spree of her opponents. And perhaps, if the rookie doesn’t make a comeback soon, then Indiana’s quest for the Championship title will start on a sour note. And hence fans were disappointed with Clark.

Fans brood over Caitlin Clark’s paltry display

“We’re fine. Caitlin’s couldn’t see the first half. Got her eye gouged out,” one fan commented. The user was pointing to the fact that Clark got hit in the eye by DiJonai Carrington early in the game while passing the ball. And by the end of it, it had developed a black spot on her eyes. Maybe this was the reason that the former ‘NCAA Queen’ wasn’t performing up to the mark.

“Clark needs to keep moving on offense after she gets rid of the ball. Lots of standing around,” another fan expressed that Clark wasn’t moving enough on the offense. As per the fan, Clark was the main player who was guarded by her opponents. Therefore, she should constantly be on a move and create open spaces for her teammates and opportunities for herself.

“Poor lil Caitlin Clark just seems to can’t win the big games. 4-17 Fg 2-13 from 3PT,” one fan looked to empathize with Clark. The main reason could be that Clark is always expected to perform during clutch moments. Maybe this had taken a toll on the rookie who scored just 11 points and 8 assists. Perhaps the fan was also reminded of Clark’s NCAA career where she lost the Championship Finale twice- once in 2023 and the other in 2024.

“But but Caitlin Clark should b the MVP 🤣,” one fan took a jibe at Clark. Notably when A’ja Wilson was considered as the chief contender for the MVP, a lot of Clark’s fans had opined that she deserved to win the award. However, after noticing her current form, a Clark critic found it best to taunt the 22-year-old.

“What a performance from the AP Rookie of the Year, Caitlin Clark. With a -20 +/- on her first WNBA playoff game and 2 of 13 from the three point line, who could deny her legendary status?,” Another fan took a jibe at Clark. Notably, the Des Moines native had a bad start to her postseason showdown. According to the admirer, this is not what legends are made of.

Hopefully, Clark will be able to bounce back on Tuesday when the Fever will once again take the court against the Sun. Perhaps, a change in strategy will help the Fever avoid a clean sweep.