SEATTLE — After her Indiana Fever misplaced 85-83 to the Seattle Storm on Wednesday to fall to 0-5 this season, No. 1 total choose Caitlin Clark mentioned she’s “making an attempt to be as constructive as potential” in regards to the progress Indiana has made regardless of it not but translating into the win column.
“You are by no means glad to lose,” Clark mentioned. “It isn’t enjoyable, however on the similar time there’s simply a number of issues to construct on. I am simply making an attempt to be as constructive as potential, proceed to study, proceed to stack days. I do know that first win shall be proper across the nook.”
Following double-digit losses within the Fever’s first three video games, this was the second consecutive one that they had a possibility to win down the stretch. A wild closing minute noticed Clark commit a turnover — simply her second of the night time after averaging 6.5 within the season’s first 4 video games — and have a 3-pointer blocked, although she thought she was fouled.
Nonetheless, after Indiana efficiently challenged a go that went out of bounds and was initially dominated a leap ball, the Fever took possession down one with 11 seconds remaining and an opportunity to win. Kristy Wallace’s inbound go to Clark was a bit behind her, and Clark might solely shovel the ball to teammate Aliyah Boston, who obtained tied up and tipped the following leap ball out of bounds.
Boston’s heave from half courtroom on the buzzer was off, giving the Storm the win.
“In all probability the longest minute of a basketball recreation I have been part of in a very long time,” Clark mentioned of a stretch that featured a pair of evaluations and took greater than 20 minutes of actual time to play. “We undoubtedly gave ourselves an opportunity, however on the similar time there have been some little issues that we shot ourselves within the foot.”
With 21 factors, 7 rebounds and seven assists, Clark had her greatest all-around recreation within the WNBA. She began slowly, with 5 factors on 2-of-9 capturing within the first half, earlier than catching hearth after halftime. In a stretch of 1:17 late within the third quarter, going up primarily towards fellow rookie Nika Muhl in a rematch of their conflict within the NCAA Closing 4 final month, Clark had six factors and an help as Indiana took the lead.
Clark smiled postgame when requested whether or not that run, highlighted by a behind-the-back dribble right into a pull-up 3-pointer in transition, was a case the place “the Iowa Caitlin got here out.”
“It is a technique of getting there to have the ability to do this the entire recreation and making an attempt to navigate that with my teammates,” she mentioned. “It is nonetheless a technique of studying when to be assertive. Typically it is laborious while you begin off chilly.
“For positive, I believe that is after I’m at my greatest, is being just a little bit extra aggressive and creating my shot. I used to be in a position to create a few 3s there that sort of obtained me going. I used to be capable of finding Temi [Fagbenle] operating the ground a couple of instances. I believe the extra I can play with extra tempo, that is after I’m undoubtedly extra profitable.”
These pictures thrilled a sellout crowd listed at 18,343, the most important in Seattle franchise historical past and probably the most in a regular-season WNBA recreation since 2018, in accordance with the Storm. However so did a season-high 32 factors from reigning league scoring champ Jewell Loyd, who joined Breanna Stewart because the second participant in Storm historical past with at the least 30 factors, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in a recreation in accordance with ESPN Stats & Data.
“It is fairly unbelievable,” Clark mentioned. “That crowd and that atmosphere was nice. Simply trying round — a sea of individuals on either side and behind the basket. It was an awesome recreation. Clearly I might have liked if we’d have gained.”
On the heels of a four-point loss Monday at residence towards Connecticut, the shut end towards a veteran Seattle staff was one other signal of progress for Indiana. That is what Clark is hoping to remove from the frustration of shedding.
“These two undoubtedly damage probably the most,” she mentioned. “We’re, what, six factors away from being 2-3 as a substitute of 0-5? It is that shut. There’s so many situations of going again and watching the movie of like little issues you could simply repair and clear up that will go a very good distance, and probably it would not even come down to 1 possession.
“I believe you need to discover confidence in that, particularly at this level, being 0-5. If you happen to simply get upset by it, I do not assume that is going to be too helpful for us.”