Caitlin Clark Reflects on Fever’s Overtime Loss to Las Vegas

Caitlin Clark reviewed her performance Thursday night after the Indiana Fever’s narrow 86-84 overtime defeat by the Las Vegas Aces. The three-time All-Star acknowledged her eight turnovers and missed free throws in the final seconds, accepting responsibility for the loss.

“Obviously, it just can’t happen,” Clark said. Earlier, she was announced as one of 12 players on the FIBA Women’s World Cup team. “Those are free throws I usually make. One of them could have given us a two-possession lead.”

Despite scoring 20 points, providing eight assists, and making two crucial 3-pointers in the last moments of regulation, Clark was focused on her mistakes. The Fever had been unable to protect substantial leads, including a 20-point advantage in the first half, and later a narrow three-point lead towards the end of regulation time.

Jackie Young capitalized on Clark’s errors, scoring 15 consecutive points, setting a franchise record. Chelsea Gray also took advantage by sending the game to overtime and eventually securing a win for Las Vegas with her buzzer-beater shots.

Clark ended the game shooting 7 of 20 from the field and 2 of 10 from beyond the arc, committing more fouls than collecting rebounds. However, she took ownership of her errors: “It was me that made the costly errors. That’s on me to help us win,” Clark stated.

Other players also faced challenges. Kelsey Mitchell missed a critical free throw with 9.2 seconds left, and a failure to foul led to Gray’s opportunity to tie the game.

Coach Stephanie White acknowledged another mistake: not calling timeout during overtime, which resulted in Clark’s final turnover. She emphasized the importance of support during such situations. “Players already hate missing free throws or plays. You’ve just got to keep them positive in those moments,” White said.