On Saturday, the Indiana Fever blew a 12-point lead against the New York Liberty, losing 83-75 to drop to 5-5 on the season.
Caitlin Clark’s recent struggles continued, as she tallied just 10 points on 4-of-14 shooting from the field to go along with 9 assists and 7 rebounds in 34 minutes. Clark is shooting the ball poorly and not looking like herself, and the WNBA world had plenty to say.
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Caitlin Clark’s Recent Slump Sparks Concern After Fever’s Loss to Liberty
Despite her inefficient shooting, Clark still managed to distribute the ball effectively, as her 9 assists against the Liberty led all players and kept the Fever offense humming for three quarters. However, her impact was limited since the two-time All-Star found herself in foul trouble.
With 6:26 left in the fourth quarter, Clark picked up her fifth foul while the Fever held a slim 3-point lead.
The Liberty did not need an invitation to capitalize, going on a 19-4 run to collapse the Fever’s defense and complete the comeback.
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This has been a brutal stretch for Clark, who has shot 28.6%, 35.3%, 14.3%, and 25% from the field over her last four games.
Clark has averaged 12.3 points, 7.3 assists, and 5.0 rebounds over her last four games, while shooting 28% from the field, including a season-low 6-point performance against the Portland Fire on May 30.
Even before the Liberty loss, the WNBA community was expressing some concern about the shifting perception of the Fever star. Jason Whitlock pointed out that her highlights haven’t been moving the needle as much on social media, blaming the WNBA and Fever for how she has been marketed and put on the backburner to promote other players.
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“This video has 140k views. A year ago it would have 5 million. They killed Caitlin Clark,” Whitlock wrote on X while sharing a video of Clark’s sidestep 3-pointer.
“Just trade Caitlin at this stage. It’s Joever. Those attendances about to drop below 10k. Those shoes about to sit on shelves…” one WNBA content creator added. “We’re watching Kelsey Mitchell doing a Julian Newman impression for an entire second half…”
This same content creator argued that Indiana should part ways with Clark, arguing that “there is no point in the Fever keeping Caitlin Clark” since she doesn’t fit in head coach Stephanie White’s system.
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Some WNBA observers used this recent stretch as an opportunity to take shots at Clark.
“Caitlin Clark is a losing basketball player,” sports journalist Tashan Reed asserted.
Many were also critical of her defense, with one prominent influencer sharing a meme of Clark as a traffic cone.
“I can’t pretend to be moved by Caitlin Clark after watching the last couple of games this is just [Trae] Young,” Pranav Sriraman wrote.
“Caitlin Clark is barely recognizable as a player anymore…” another user posted.
Recently, Clark made headlines during Indiana’s loss to Portland for getting into a heated exchange with White and then getting benched, sparking rumors of a fractured relationship and raising questions about Clark’s future with the Fever. Both Clark and White have since addressed the media multiple times, insisting that there is no tension between them.
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There has also been a lot of conversation about Clark’s defensive shortcomings as of late, with analysts questioning her effort on that end of the floor.
Clark may still be finding her rhythm after last year’s injury-ridden season, but it’s clear that she hasn’t looked like herself as of late. At her best, Clark is one of the league’s most dangerous offensive weapons.
The Fever will face the Washington Mystics on Monday, giving Clark and the 5-5 Fever an excellent opportunity to get back on track and put these struggles behind them.
