Social media was abuzz after fever pitched in the final clash between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese on Sunday, when Clark went through the final moments of the match without a shot.
Over the final seven minutes, Clark made just two shots and the Fever scored just five points.
Clark finished the game with 17 points and 13 assists, but the big talking point was his lack of shooting late in the close 88-87 loss to Indiana.
The top pick in this year’s WNBA draft didn’t think it was so bad that she didn’t shoot much late in the game when she spoke to reporters.
“I’m sure I had one or two opportunities to take another shot at the end, but I trust my teammates,” Clark said. “Obviously 13 assists, that means my teammates scored on 13 of my passes. That’s a really good number so I’m going to give them the ball every time. Give them the opportunity to score. I believe in them.
The question will take center stage: why Clark didn’t shoot in some critical moments on Sunday.
Fever coach Christie Sides also received her share of criticism after the match, but she also seemed to question why Clark didn’t shoot more.
“I never want her to not be aggressive and shoot,” The sides said before specifically referencing a time when the fever dropped by one in the final seconds of the match.
“I thought she was going to take it to the rim or stop right. It would have been a great move for her and for our team.
Instead, Clark drives past Kristy Wallace, who missed a contested layup.
The Fever was up 15 late in the third quarter when things started trending the other way.
The loss was Indiana’s 11th of the season.
But the talk online afterward was that Clark wasn’t shooting and that Fever wasn’t playing specifically to free her up for a shot — instead focusing on fellow player Aliyah Boston.
“As others have said, Caitlin Clark needs to be more selfish in certain situations. I know she makes the right plays, but sometimes it’s just you who takes that! former Jets guard Damien Woody wrote on X.
“Caitlin Clark should have taken the last shot. That’s why you have it. For moments like this. Period,” Robert Griffin III intervened.
Griffin added, “Consecutive possessions and the Indiana Fever don’t put the ball in Caitlin Clark’s hands when they’re down 2 and 3,” WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!
Sunday’s match marked the last time until August 30 that Clark and Reese would face each other.
New York Post
