INDIANAPOLIS — There are many things that make Caitlin Clark a unique basketball player, from her superb passing ability to her limitless range. But what has made her most beloved among fans is her passion.
Although this can be a boon, it can also be a curse.
The Fever and Lynx enter Friday’s game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse with a 7-1 record since the Olympic break, with two of those wins finishing 1-1. WNBApitted the best teams against each other.
After Indiana took a five-point lead in the first half, the Fever came out of the locker room and let emotions take over. The Lynx showed why they are one of the best teams in the league, outscoring the hosts 29-12, while Indy looked every bit the younger team.
Disbelief over the foul call grew. With Clarke and Elijah Boston focused as much on the officials as on the game, emotions continued to run high, leading to the latter’s third technical foul of the season in the third frame.
Through it all, the Lynx kept their composure and remained in control of the game, while the Fever lost theirs.
“It felt like playoff basketball and that’s what I kept telling my players,” Indiana head coach Christy Sides said. “They’re a good experienced team. They came out in the third quarter and they attacked us and when they did that, we didn’t handle it very well.”
The Fever have played with passion all year and after struggling early in the season, they have learned a lot How to use it and make it positiveThere was no greater example than his victory over the Sun.
On Friday, though, they had their biggest game of the season. Minnesota could be a future playoff match for Indiana.
The fans knew the stakes and were ready for another important win. They helped the Fever build a strong lead in the opening quarter and first half, responding to the team’s five first-half 3-pointers – three of them from Clark – with roars of approval, while the sold-out crowd continued to create one of the best atmospheres in the league this season.
But when things started to go awry in the third quarter, he followed his star point guard, who was toeing the line between playing with emotion and playing emotionally.
“I think there’s definitely a limit,” Clarke said. “I was frustrated and I thought I got fouled a couple of times in the second half on mid-range jump shots. It happens. Sometimes you get calls, sometimes you don’t. That’s just the way it is. … I think I could have done a little better job of controlling my emotions.
“I think there’s a limit and sometimes your passion, your emotion can get the better of you, but it’s not something I would ever want to change or anybody on our team would ever want to change.”
Finding balance has been a challenge for Sides and her coaching staff this season. For the most part, they have helped Clarke perform better while also allowing her to show off her trademark competitive fire.
The third quarter on Friday was not an example of that, though. She forced mid-range jumpers while looking for fouls, caused turnovers, and, at the lowest point, lay on the floor in frustration after her shot was blocked, giving the Lynx a chance to score and take a double-digit lead.
Caitlin Clark admitted she couldn’t control her emotions during Friday’s match against the Lynx.
“I think I could have done a little better job at controlling my emotions.”
This was perhaps the lowest point of the night as Minnesota scored after Clark fell to the ground pic.twitter.com/XDoO7s3AKu
— Jacob Rude (@JacobRude) September 7, 2024
“She’s very passionate,” Sides said. “Her competitive spirit, reminds me of Diana Taurasi. She’s like that. So, when she gets upset or angry — that’s what we’re working on, trying to figure out how to get through those moments.
“He’s got to learn that, in those moments, I need my point guard to play with a cool head, let us do whatever we need offensively and if it’s not a foul call like you thought it was, you’ve got to come back,” Sides continued. “We’ve been working on those things. That’s what being a young team, that’s what you do is you try to talk about these moments, watch them on video, show them that ‘this just can’t happen because it caused such, such and such to happen.’
“All our actions have a reaction and we have to make sure we don’t put ourselves in a worse position in moments like these.”
The good news is that the Fever will have a chance to learn immediately from Friday’s loss. On Sunday, they’ll return home against the Dream and then play two games in three days against the defending champion Aces, games that will likely be quite emotional and passionate.
Now, it’s about using the loss to the Lynx as a learning curve and a means to move forward.
“I think we as a group kind of put ourselves together and say ‘shut up and do the job and keep the refs out of it and get on to the next play.’ Get on to the next play, get on to the next action, get on to the next set. Use this as fuel for our next game,” Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell said.
“As a leader, you want to make sure you’re coming out with confidence and positivity. We’ve already seen what the result was tonight, so let’s use that and turn to the next page.”
You can follow Jacob on Twitter: @jakebrood,