That wasn’t how the Indiana Fever wanted to end their regular season, but an 86-66 loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Thursday night was what they got.
The Fever were down by 30 at halftime when they decided to pull the starters for the second half. Caitlin Clark had the worst game of her career, posting 2 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal in 18 minutes. She shot 1-of-12 and missed all 7 of her three-pointers in the loss.
Indiana secured the third seed and will be facing the Las Vegas Aces in the first round of the WNBA playoffs. While the Fever don’t have time to dwell on the loss, Clark won’t let it affect them.
Caitlin Clark Talks Indiana Fever Regular Season Finale Loss
Clark spoke with the media after the game to react to the loss. She is making sure she and her teammates don’t dwell on the loss and are ready for the postseason.
“At this point, everybody’s record is 0-0,” Clark said via ESPN’s Kareem Copeland. “We’re going into the playoffs. If we sit and sulk about what happened tonight, yeah, it sucks. It is what it is. We kind of came out and got punched in the mouth. We didn’t make shots, obviously.
“I’m excited. If you can’t get up for the playoffs, then you probably shouldn’t be on this team. That’s the great thing. You look at one through eight in this league right now, [and] it’s anybody’s to take. We have to have the mentality going into the playoffs of let’s go steal the first one.”
It was still the best season of her career. She averaged more points than any point guard in WNBA history. She finishes the year averaging 22.3 points, 8.3 assists, 4 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game.
Caitlin Clark & Fever Move On to Aces for WNBA Playoff Action
While the playoff schedule has not been set yet, the Fever now know they face the Aces after dropping to the sixth seed. It’s disappointing that they’ll face the defending champions, but it’s a good challenge for them.
Players like Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell will have to step up in the postseason. They will have to carry the Fever to an upset win over Las Vegas in the first round. The Aces have one of the greatest players in league history, A’ja Wilson, to take them on.
This postseason is important for Clark. She is in her third year in the league and needs to prove she can win a title. Beating the Aces would go a long way in doing that.
Caitlin Clark Didn’t Hold Back After Forgettable Night in Fever Blowout Loss