Caitlin Clark discussed turnovers in Fever loss after Indiana’s disappointing 88-77 defeat to the Golden State Valkyries on Thursday night. Despite holding a lead late into the game, the Fever struggled to maintain control, largely due to mistakes in ball handling during key moments.
Clark’s Performance and Turnover Troubles
The star guard’s night was uncharacteristically difficult, as she scored only 11 points on 3-of-14 shooting, with seven rebounds, nine assists, and one steal. Notably, Clark missed all three of her three-point attempts, marking only the second time in her WNBA career she has failed to make a three-pointer in a game. More crucially, she committed a team-high six turnovers, which undermined Indiana’s lead and momentum.
During the postgame press conference, Clark emphasized the team’s struggle with maintaining leads, especially when handling the ball under pressure.
“I think we get these leads, we get up 10, we get up 12, and I thought that’s where we really grew versus [the Connecticut Sun], we really took a step forward and kept our foot on the gas and built out our lead and got it up to 20,”
she said, according to Chloe Peterson of IndyStar.
Clark went on to add,
“I thought we were kind of in the phase of not (giving up those leads) anymore. And then we got our lead to 12 (against the Valkyries), and then we kind of go on a stretch of turning the ball over… We got to be able to grow in that area.”
Fourth Quarter Collapse Leads to Defeat
Indiana entered the final quarter holding a narrow 59-55 advantage and appeared set to lock in their third consecutive victory. However, the Golden State Valkyries surged in the closing minutes, outscoring the Fever 33-18 to complete the comeback. This decisive fourth-quarter run effectively sealed the game for Golden State.
The turnovers committed by Indiana — many occurring during critical junctures in the second half — were a significant factor in the team’s inability to sustain their lead. Clark indicated that this was the key reason behind the Fever’s collapse, highlighting the urgency for improvement in ball control moving forward.
Outlook for the Fever Moving Ahead
Despite the loss, there is a clear focus within the Indiana Fever on addressing the issues that hampered their performance against the Valkyries. Recognizing turnovers as a recurring weakness suggests the team can target this area for growth in upcoming games.
With Clark leading the charge and openly acknowledging the problem, the Fever may be able to rebound quickly and regain their winning form in future contests.