Caitlin Clark was back in the lineup with the Indiana Fever in the loss against the Valkyries 80-61, and the 19-point defeat matches the Fever’s largest margin of loss this season. So no, it wasn’t a return like the one she had earlier this season on June 14, when she scored 32 points-including nine points with three straight triples from way downtown in just 38 seconds-to end the unbeaten start of the season for the New York Liberty. This time, she played 25 minutes, finishing with 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting, plus six assists, five rebounds, and four turnovers.
Caitlin Clark’s Historic Struggles
Six of those 10 points came from the three-point line, but sadly, it was the first time she made two triples in the last four games. Not only that, Sportscenter showed a graphic that makes Clark look really bad. In her last four games, she has shot 28 triples with just three on target (10.7%), marking the worst three-point percentage in a 4-game span in WNBA history.
Yes, everybody has laughed about Angel Reese’s misses, which are different because Reese shoots under the basket, while this statistic for Clark is from three-point range. Without a doubt, Clark is not going through a good moment; in fact, it’s the worst of her career, including her years at Iowa. While Reese is the opposite and is going through the best moment of his career.
It’s clear that Clark hasn’t been able to find her rhythm this season due to injuries. First, she got injured in the fourth game of the season and missed five games, then returned for another five games before getting injured again, now missing another five games. In those five games after her first injury, Clark already showed a slump, hitting just 5 of 29 three-pointers (17.24%) over four games, including a six-point dud against Seattle, her second-lowest performance of her career.
This must be evident to Clark and the coaching staff of Stephanie White, and it must worry them because they know that Clark’s strength, besides her assists, is her three-point shooting. If those shots aren’t falling, it makes it easier for opponents to defend her. She’s a superstar, and I have no doubt she will bounce back from this slump, which, in my opinion, is mainly due to injuries.
Perhaps the best thing for her is for the All-Star break to come soon, where she was selected as captain. Last season, we saw the best version of Clark after the month-long break the league had due to the Paris Olympics. Now, the break won’t be as long, but it will help her concentrate and adopt a new mindset for the end of the season. This is good because there’s still enough time for the team and her to confirm why most sportsbooks listed her among the top three favorites to win the MVP award and why the team entered the season as title contenders, just behind last year’s champions, the New York Liberty.
Clark’s Road to Redemption: Key Matchups Ahead
Now, the focus shifts to Friday’s clash with the Atlanta Dream, a top team that’s beaten Indiana twice in three meetings this season. Then, on Sunday, it’s a showdown with Paige Bueckers, pitting the last two No. 1 overall picks against each other. Atlanta is one of the top teams so far this season; in the two games Clark has already faced them, she scored 27 points in the loss and 11 points in the win, so this game won’t be easy.
Moreover, if she continues playing this way, the pressure will mount on Sunday when she faces Dallas and Bueckers for the first time. Clark missed their first WNBA matchup in Dallas (a 94-86 Fever win), where Bueckers dropped 27 points despite the loss. Their college battles-UConn’s 92-72 rout in the 2021 Sweet 16 and Iowa’s 71-69 thriller in the 2024 Final Four-set the stage for a classic. Let’s hope Clark is back in top form, as Bueckers is rolling despite her team’s struggles.
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