Caitlin Clark Opens Up About Her ‘Emotions’ After Fever Loss

INDIANAPOLIS — There are many things that make Caitlin Clark a unique basketball player, from her dazzling passing to her seemingly limitless reach. But what has endeared her to fans so often is the passion with which she plays.

That can be a blessing, but it can also be a curse.

The Fever and Lynx entered Friday’s game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse tied at 7-1 since the Olympic break. Two of the best teams in the WNBA faced off.

After a strong first half that saw Indiana take a five-point lead, the Fever came out of the locker room and let their emotions get the better of them. The Lynx showed why they are one of the best in the league, outscoring the hosts 29-12, with Indy still looking as young as it is.

Foul calls were questioned with increasing disbelief. Emotions continued to rise as Clark and Aliyah Boston paid as much attention to the officials as to the match itself, resulting in the latter receiving her third technical foul of the season in the third frame.

The Lynx remained calm throughout and took control of the game, while the Fever lost their composure.

“That felt like playoff basketball and that’s what I kept telling our players,” Indiana head coach Christie Sides said. “They’re a good veteran team. They came in the third quarter and they came at us — and when they did, we didn’t handle it very well.”

The Fever had played with passion all year and, after struggling earlier in the season, had largely learned how to turn that into something positive. There was no better example of that than their win over the Sun.

Friday, however, was their biggest game of the season. Minnesota could be a future playoff game for Indiana.

Fans showed up, aware of the stakes and ready for another big win. They helped the Fever build a commanding lead in the opening quarter and first half, and they responded to the team’s five first-half 3-pointers — three of them by Clark — with roars of approval as the sellout crowd continued to create one of the best atmospheres in the league this season.

But when things started to snowball in the third quarter, they followed the lead of their star player, who sought and crossed the line between emotional play and emotional playing.

“I think there’s definitely a line,” Clark said. “I was frustrated and thought I got fouled a couple times in the second half on mid-range jump shots. It happens. Sometimes you get calls, sometimes you don’t. It is what it is. … I think I could have controlled my own emotions a little bit better.

“I think there is a line and sometimes your passion, your emotion can get to you, but that’s something I would never change, and no one on our team would ever change.”

Finding that balance has been the challenge for Sides and her coaching staff this season. More often than not, they’ve helped Clark excel while still displaying her trademark competitive fire.

The third quarter on Friday, however, was no example of that. She forced mid-range jumpers while looking for fouls, committed turnovers and, at its lowest point, lay on the floor in frustration after her shot was blocked, allowing the Lynx to score and take a double-digit lead.

“She’s just so passionate,” Sides said. “Her competitive spirit, it reminds me of Diana Taurasi. That’s what she is. So when she’s angry or upset — that’s what we’ve been working on, trying to figure out how to overcome those moments.

“She’s got to learn that in those moments, I need my point guard to keep a level head, give us what we need to do offensively and if it’s not an offense you thought you had to come back,” Sides continued. “We work on those things. That’s what a young team does, that’s what you do, you try to talk about those moments, watch them on video, show them where ‘This just can’t happen because it caused this, this, this.’

“All our actions have a reaction and we have to make sure we don’t put ourselves in a worse position with moments like this.”

The good news is that the Fever will have an immediate chance to learn from Friday’s loss. On Sunday, they return home to the Dream before playing two games in three days against the reigning champions Aces, games that are also likely to bring plenty of emotion and passion.

Now it’s all about using the loss to the Lynx as a learning tool for the future.

“I think we just hold ourselves together as a group and say, ‘Shut up and work and leave the officials out of it and go to the next play.’ Go to the next play, go to the next action, go 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 stay confident and positive. We’ve already seen the outcome tonight, so use it and move on to the next page.”

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.