The Indiana Fever lost their second straight game on Saturday, falling 109-102 to the New York Liberty. Caitlin Clark finished with 21 points, four rebounds and seven assists in 35 minutes. But a late defensive error and two missed free throws in the final 24 seconds sealed Indiana’s fate.
With 57.5 seconds left and the score tied at 100, Leonie Fiebich made a driving layup through contact to put New York up 103-100. Clark missed a drive on the next possession, failed to block her opponent on the glass, and committed a frustration foul.
Moments later, Clark drew a foul while driving to the rim but missed both resulting free throws with 24 seconds remaining, ending any realistic path back into the game. She finished 1-for-4 from the free-throw line.
Kara Lawson, the Duke Blue Devils head coach who also leads Team USA, analyzed the game on the Prime Video broadcast. In clips shared on X by @HoopHerSpeaks, Lawson called the missed box-out and the subsequent foul “unacceptable” for that point in the game. She turned the sequence into a lesson for young players, advising them not to repeat those mental mistakes.
WNBA fans erupted after Lawson’s commentary, with some demanding Team USA remove Clark from the roster.
“Don’t bring that grumpy turnover Tammy on the Olympic Team in 2028 and please kick her off Team USA now,” one user wrote.
More reactions followed.
Read More: “Trying to Diminish Caitlin Clark in Any Way They Can”: Streamer Alleges Stephanie White Does Everything to Help Kelsey Mitchell’s MVP Case
Will Caitlin Clark play Sunday against the Chicago Sky?
Indiana heads to Chicago on Sunday for the second half of a back-to-back, and coach Stephanie White hasn’t confirmed if Caitlin Clark will play or sit. It shows how Indiana is being careful with her since she returned from a back injury in July. When she first came back, White kept her on a strict minutes limit and rested her entirely on the second night.
Indiana has good reason to be cautious. Last season, soft-tissue injuries ruined Clark’s year, limiting her to just 13 games and forcing her to miss the 2025 playoffs.
Right now, pushing her isn’t worth the risk. The Fever have already secured a playoff spot, and the FIBA World Cup training camp starts on Sept. 4. Giving her tired legs a break Sunday makes perfect sense now.
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Edited by Sami Haider
