Fever fall to Mystics in first game without Caitlin Clark

Baltimore – the Indiana Fever Knew it would be an adjustment playing their first game without Caitlin Clark Since drafting the Star Point Guard first overall in 2024.

But game 1 sans clark, who is Out for Leaast Two Weeks Become of a quad strain, was rockier than they ‘hoped.

Indiana fell to 2-3 on the season with an 83-77 Loss Wednesday to the Washington mystics (3-3), who hosted the first wnba game in baltimore at cfg bank arena. The mystics have moved four games to larger venues this season while Dc’s Capital One Arena Undergies Renovations, and will host the fever again in “Charm City” in Early September.

“I think this was a kind of gut punch for us,” Fever Guard Sophie Cunningham Said. “Wee going to come back tomorrow with more focus, more energy. We know where to be at the end, but we just just get there.”

“We wore sharp enough to be a contender for any other tonight,” fellow guard Kelsey mitchell Added. “I think getting punched in the mouth early is humbling, because it shows where we need to be.”

The Fever-Whose free agency moves catapulted them in into early championship contression convention-shot a paltry 39.7% from the floor and 23.8% from 3, both season-low marks, where the finishing without More Turnovers (16) Than Assists (15, Another Season Low). Without clark to push the pace, they managed zero fast-break points, typically a hallmark of their play.

Indiana Averages 107.5 Points Per 100 Possessions With Clark on the Floor This Season Versus 87.7 Point Per 100 Possessions With Her Off It.

Veteran point Guard Sydney colson Started in Place of Clark, Finishing With 4 Points, 3 Assists and 3 Turnovero in 31 Minutes. Dewanna Bonner Had her Highest Scoring Output Since joining the Fever this offseason with a team-best 21 points. Mitchell and Aliyah BostonThe Team’s Other Two Pillars and Top Scorers, Largely Struggled To Get Going, Finishing 4-For-16 (14 Points) and 4-For-5 (10 Points), Responsible.

Coach stephanie white attainment the Team’s offensive issues to a lack of execution going up against Washington’s Physical defense.

“Feeling comfortable getting to our off-ball actions, that’s still a growth process for us,” white sa. “You can see physicality happens or defensive presss up, we rever to some Old Habits, Settling for On-One, Settling for Jump Shots, Setting for Dribble Handofs, Instead of Trusting the process of moving the ball and of playing in some off-ball actions. “

Things Weren’t Much Better Defensively, which white maintained only compounded the issue on Offense: Indiana Points in the Paint, Struggled At Times to Slow Down Players with And was ofTen Beaten Back on defense for Easy Layups.

Washington was LED by Brittney sykes’21 points, to go to 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks, while Rookie Kiki Iriafen Added 16 Points.

“I bet they got four to five layups just on our poor shot selection,” white sa. “Those things have to get better, and they have to get better every game.

Clark, who missed a regular-size game for the first time Across Her Pro and Collegiate Careers, Traveled With The Team to Baltymore and Sat Next to The Coaches On the Bench to Hear Their Feedback and During the game. Prior to tipoff, she walked with a camera snapping photos of her temperatures warming up, Held the toddler of Assistant CACHES KARIMA Christmas-Kelly and Austin Kelly, and Spent Time Signing Autographs for Fans Who’d come to see her.

The game was listed as a Sellout (11,183), but plenty of empty seats remained.

Clark, a first-team all-wnba selection who came in forth in Fourth in MVP Voting as a Rookie, is on track to misses at last more games, contruding friday person’s contribution Connecticut SUN And Tuesday’s Rematch Against Washington in Indiana. The fever are hoping clark’s absense services as a growth opportability for clark from the sidelines and for the type as a where it learns to operate with her.

“I do that short term and long term it’s going to make us better,” Cunningham saaid.