The Indiana Fever came close to their first win last night but they repeatedly blew the lead. But there were marked improvements in their performance and the young ladies finally gave the crowd something to cheer for. Even though they lost to the visiting Connecticut Sun because of two fouls in the crucial seconds of the game, Caitlin Clark and co. are confident that they can get better. But she needs one thing for that, and that is the crowd at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse cheering for the team.
Talking about the crowd of a whopping 17,413 attendees in the arena in Indiana on Monday, Clark only had words of appreciation. In her post-game interview, she said, “Our crowd was great. They rallied behind us. They gave us some great energy. I hope they continue to come back because it’s gonna be a fun season. We got to remember we played two of the top teams in the league and we were right there with the Sun tonight. We had some opportunities to take the lead and we gave ourselves a chance.”
Many instances tonight showed how the rookie is feeling in her skin again. One of them being her signature Logo-3. Another is her hyping the crowd to be louder with every shot. Not to mention, as the teams went into their third quarter, the hovering screen had a pre-recorded message by Clark for the crowd to stay energized and make some more noise.
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Despite losing the game 88-84, there were a total of 10 ties throughout the 40 minutes. And Caitlin Clark was not the only star that shone tonight.
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Caitlin Clark and Fever tonight
Despite her unfortunate ankle twist that got the fans worried, Cailtin Clark returned to the floor for some more damage. In all, she grabbed 17 points while shooting 3-7 from beyond the arc and in total, 5 of 11 from the field. She also had 100% accuracy from the free throw line. She added 3 rebounds and dished 5 assists to round off a decent performance.
At the same time, other players in the team also showed their skills tonight. Kelsey Mitchell equaled Clark’s tally with 17 points and 5 assists. NaLyssa Smith added 13 points and 6 rebounds. The 2023 first overall pick Aliyah Boston fell just shy of a double-double with 10 points and 8 rebounds. And the hidden surprise in the veteran Temi Fagbenle dropped her first WNBA career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Erica Wheeler and Kirsty Wallace were also right up there, almost reaching double-digit scores with 6 and 8 points, respectively.
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Of 10 players that Christie Sides moved to the court, 5 scored in double figures with 2 more hovering in that space. Clearly, the point that Kim Mulkey made in her press conference back in April is coming to life. She had said how Caitlin Clark does not just make points herself but improves the others around her. With the Fever giving a rough time to one of the best teams out there already, we can expect them to be successful soon.