After an 89-77 loss to the Seattle Storm on Thursday, Indiana Fever coach Christie Sides said the team’s star freshman, Caitlin Clark, “has to shoot at least 15 shots a game.”
Clark scored a team-best 15 points, tied with Erica Wheeler, in Thursday’s loss and added seven assists and six rebounds. It was Clark’s fewest points since she had seven two weeks ago in a win over the Atlanta Dream. The guard shot 4 of 9 (44.4 percent) from the field, 3 of 7 (42.9 percent) from three-point range and 4 of 5 (80 percent) from the free throw line in 38 minutes on Thursday.
“(Clark) has to take shots, and we have to do a better job of setting her up, setting really good screens for her so she can get open,” Sides said after the game. She also talked about how turnovers — the Fever had 20 on Thursday — have cost the team.
Caitlin Clark Retired the Seattle Storm Logo 🔥
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— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) June 28, 2024
Clark leads the league in scoring, with 16.2 points per game, and assists, with 6.6. She is second on the team in field goal attempts (12.2) behind guard Kelsey Mitchell (13.4). Aliyah Boston (5 of 16) and NaLyssa Smith (5 of 11) led the team in field goal attempts on Thursday.
“We played a lot of screens tonight,” Clark said Thursday. “So I feel like when you get doubled on the screen, you’re always going to give it up. That should create an advantage for us 4-on-3 attacking the basket. But I don’t think we played our screens very well tonight.”
“I could definitely be a little more aggressive at the basket, but I think I’m just going to try to take what the defense gives me and try to set my teammates up for success as well.”
Five-time All-Star Jewell Loyd led the Storm with 34 points, while Seattle’s Ezi Magbegor had 18 points. The Fever are 7-12, 8 1/2 games behind the Eastern Conference leader New York Liberty (15-3). The Storm (11-6) are two games behind the Western Conference leader Minnesota Lynx (13-4).
“The Storm is the type of team, the level we want to be at,” Clark said. “So we played those teams and we had a good quarter. I felt like in the third quarter we outscored them 22-17, but we have to make four. Our main goal this year is to take it game by game and help this organization get back to the playoffs.”
When asked what the best advice she’s received from a veteran player this season is, Clark said with a smile: “Nobody gives me advice during the game. I wish they did.”
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(Photo: Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
