Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever lose 93-69 to the Connecticut Sun in the Game 1 of the round one.
Not all fairytales have happy endings, as was the case of Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark, who had a WNBA playoff debut game to forget. Her team got routed 93-69 in Game 1 of round one against the third seed, Connecticut Sun in the 2023/24 season playoffs.
The AP unanimous Rookie of the Year, Clark finished the contest with a shocking output of 11 points on 4/17 balls shot from the field, as well as a below standard 2/11 from the three-point range. However, despite her struggles, she added an impressive eight assists, four rebounds, and three steals to close the game.
The shooting woes didn’t affect Kelsey Mitchell as she led the Indiana Fever with 21 points, three rebounds and five assists and teammate Aliyah Boston came up with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists. Meanwhile, for the Sun, Marina Mabrey topped the players’ statistics charts with 27 points, three rebounds and assists as she came off the bench.
Caitlin Clark struggled in her WNBA playoff debut in the Fever’s 93-69 loss to the Sun 😬
11 points
4 rebounds
8 assists
3 steals4-of-17 FG
2-of-13 3PM pic.twitter.com/bJ9Qj7VKQ8— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 22, 2024
Fans of Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever can find solace in the fact that they weren’t expected to reach the playoffs after they finished 13-27 last season, which all the same made this year’s playoff appearance an achievement in itself. It can be deduced that the addition of Clark, the top pick in the WNBA draft, was pivotal in the Fever’s turnaround after the Olympics break.
Fans react to Caitlin Clark WNBA Playoffs debut Loss
It can be said that Clark’s rocky postseason debut against the Connecticut Sun surprised a lot of fans, especially after she had a strong rookie campaign to show for. Unfortunately, she’s not a god, as even great players have rough games, and Clark was no exception.
Social media was set on fire as the game ended and fans had their say on the game. One user @weedw88 wrote on X, “Caitlin, even the best have off days! Keep your head up, and you’ll bounce back stronger!”
Caitlin, even the best have off days! Keep your head up, and you’ll bounce back stronger! 💪🏀
— sk8terdude9 (@weedw88) September 22, 2024
A couple of other social media reactions by fans on X below:
Caitlin Clark in her first playoff game:
11 PTS
4/17 FG
2/13 3PT
8 AST
4 REB
3 STL pic.twitter.com/PiBU6Z7LTT— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) September 22, 2024
Sometimes the shots just don’t fall, but Clark’s playmaking and defense were still on point
— Sumi (@sumitmikm) September 22, 2024
Sheryl Swoopes right now pic.twitter.com/wUZNnwnOtR
— Stat Defender (@statdefender) September 22, 2024
FINAL
Indiana Fever………..69
Connecticut Sun….93The Indiana Fever were thoroughly defeated today by the Connecticut Sun.
Plenty to learn for the Fever here but it’s just one loss.
Indiana got many clean looks in this game they could not convert. Gotta make those if you…
— Paul Villarreal (@PaulVillar29633) September 22, 2024
I totally disagree with the premise that poor three-point shooting is why the Fever are losing this game. If they were shooting 50% from deep they would still be losing. The Sun disrupted their offense in a major way, and Indiana’s defense was way too slow.
— Tony East (@TonyREast) September 22, 2024
Everyone has bad games… she’ll bounce back
— SpoMuse (@spomuse) September 22, 2024
Furthermore, some fans believe that Clark’s struggles were compounded by physical play from Connecticut, as she took a poke in the eye from DiJonai Carrington early in the game, which resulted in a black eye.
Connecticut’s tough defense and control of the pace will be key challenges for Indiana as they head into Game 2, as they hope and pray for a miracle to keep their playoff hopes alive.
