While Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever were on the verge of picking up their second win in a row, Breanna Stewart and the New York Liberty battled back, winning 83-75.
Clark didn’t have her most spectacular outing, scoring just 10 points and hitting just 4 of 14 field goals, while also dishing out nine assists and grabbing seven rebounds. Fouls were also an issue for the WNBA star, who had to sit on the bench with 6:26 left in the fourth quarter when she picked up her fifth foul.
“I’ve gotta be leading the league, but I can’t shoot a free throw,” Clark joked at her postgame press conference during a reporter’s question.
The Fever racked up 27 fouls throughout the game, though, including fellow All-Star starter Aliyah Boston and reserve Myisha Hines-Allen, who also had five each.
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Clark has racked up four-plus fouls in her recent games, leading to a postgame media session question about what’s going on.
White responded to the question about Clark’s foul trouble, saying “some of it” is how the referees call the game. She also defended her star player against criticism that the criticism might be directed at her rather than at the team’s defensive issues.
“We’ve gotta do a better job collectively as a team. I mean, there were a couple of those where we had opportunities to plug gaps, because the person that we were guarding was behind the play, and we got impatient. We didn’t help her out … Our team defensive positioning has to be better, and that can take some pressure off [Caitlin],” White said.
Multiple times throughout the game, Clark complained to officials over calls, as other players did. The Fever also lost their ability to challenge after Sophie Cunningham requested her team review a shooting foul she picked up early.
The Liberty had 19 fouls in the game, compared to the Fever’s 27. The Liberty’s Stewart made 18 of 21 free throws during her team’s win and finished with a game-high 30 points.
For a second straight game, Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever with 21 points on 7 of 21 field goals. The Fever’s Monique Billings also stepped up, scoring 15 points to go with eight rebounds.
Indiana, now 5-5, looks to bounce back from its loss when they visit the Washington Mystics at 7 p.m. ET on Monday.
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