Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever suffered a heartbreaking 90-88 loss to the New York Liberty on Saturday afternoon, a game that left Clark visibly frustrated and emotionally stung. Despite a spirited comeback and an individual performance that included 18 points, five rebounds, and 10 assists, Clark couldn’t shake the bitter feeling that her team had let one slip away.
“It definitely stings,” Clark admitted in the postgame press conference. “We are two possessions from being 4-0.” That comment reflected her belief that the Fever, now 2-2, are playing better basketball than their record shows. The narrow margin of defeat and the way the game unfolded added to the pain. After falling behind by as many as 16 in the first half, Indiana roared back in the third quarter, outscoring the Liberty 30-13 and seizing control of the game. With a 12-point lead midway through the fourth quarter, it looked like the Fever were on their way to a statement win.
But the final minutes told a different story. Turnovers, missed assignments, and missed shots allowed the Liberty to claw back, culminating in a last-second play that left Clark and the Fever without a chance to force overtime—or win. With just seconds remaining and Indiana down by two, Clark attempted to go one-on-one against Liberty veteran guard Natasha Cloud. As Clark tried to make her move, Cloud stripped the ball from her as the buzzer sounded. The play appeared controversial, with Clark later alleging that Cloud held her arm—a potential foul that was not called by officials.
The CBS broadcast didn’t provide a definitive angle of the final play, adding to the frustration and debate among fans and analysts alike. For Clark, it wasn’t just about the final possession, but about the little lapses throughout the game. “There were so many little areas of this game we could have improved,” she said, citing poor defensive execution early in the game as a major issue. “Our defense to start this game was poor… but this is what’s going to make us better at the end of the year.”
Despite the loss, Clark had a few bright moments, including snapping her recent cold streak from three-point range. She hit a difficult step-back and-one three over Rebekah Gardner and followed it up with a deep 33-foot buzzer-beating triple at the end of the third quarter that brought the crowd to its feet.
Though the outcome was disappointing, the game served as another reminder of Clark’s impact—not just as a scorer, but as a playmaker and emotional leader. As the Fever continue to build chemistry and consistency, close losses like this one could provide the fuel they need to evolve into a playoff contender.
“We’ll learn from this,” Clark said. “And when it’s April or May next year, we’ll look back at games like this as the ones that made us tougher.”
