The Indiana Fever lost 103-88 against the Seattle Storm on Thursday night, despite Caitlin Clark’s 20 points and nine assists while playing almost the whole game.
The Storm (5-3) scored the most points of the season behind 22 points from Jewell Loyd and 18 points, 9 assists, and 9 steals from Skylar Diggins-Smith. For the Storm, Nneka Ogwumike scored 17.
In front of 15,022 fans, Clark, who finished with three 3-pointers, played all but four seconds, but he was unable to stop the Fever from dropping to 1-8, the second-worst record in the league.
“The third quarter was when we lost the game,” Clark stated. “I just thought our defensive rotations were bad. … It’s not really about our offense. It was our defense. You’re not going to win a basketball game giving up 103.”
After leading 47–41 at the half, Seattle went on a 12-run to start the third quarter. In the quarter, the Storm outscored the Fever 34–18, making 12 of their 17 baskets.
Regarding the third, Loyd remarked, “A lot of it was composure.” “Some of it was being able to get stops. Because we were able to get so many defensive stops, we were able to just flow and make plays. That’s when we’re at our best.”
In a home victory over Indiana on May 22, Loyd—the league’s current scoring leader—scored a season-high 32 points.
With her place back in the starting lineup, Fever forward NaLyssa Smith scored 15 of her team’s 23 points in the first half. She got her 1,000th career point and pulled down ten rebounds as well.
“Our goal is to win here,” Smith declared. “I’m just ready to win. It’s not a good feeling, losing all these games.”
Christie Sides, the coach of the Fever, received a technical foul as the lead grew because he was arguing about a missed call on a Clark drive to the hoop. In addition, Clark got a technical during a heated argument with Victoria Vivians of Seattle.
Referring to her encounter with Vivians, Clark remarked, “You’ve got two competitive people.”