The New York Liberty tightened their defense late in the game and erased a double-digit second-half deficit to hand the Indiana Fever an 83-75 loss on Saturday night.
In Sabrina Ionescu’s absence, Breanna Stewart anchored New York’s comeback with 30 points and a franchise-record 18 made free throws.
Meanwhile, Caitlin Clark posted 10 points in a disheartening loss that also had the WNBA community slamming the Fever star’s body language late in the game.
Caitlin Clark’s Frustrations Reach Boiling Point Against the Liberty
After trailing 57-45 late in the third period, New York flipped the momentum against the Fever in the fourth quarter. The Liberty ripped off a 19-4 run down the stretch, ignited by Stewart frequently drawing contact in the paint.
The two-time MVP absorbed physical blows on nearly every possession during the decisive surge to overwhelm the Indiana defense.
Kelsey Mitchell tried to keep the Fever afloat by pouring in a team-high 21 points, with Aliyah Boston pouring in 13 points.
Already enduring a dismal offensive night with 4-of-14 shooting from the floor, Clark also drew ire online for ignoring a teammate during the fourth quarter.
Dennis Marshall posted the video and wrote, “It’s not going your way so ignore your teammate. CC?”
It’s not going your way so ignore your teammate. CC? pic.twitter.com/H6zyeJQRVj
— Dennis Marshall (@mar5hallhoops) June 7, 2026
“This fall from grace needs to be studied. Still an elite talent but everything seems so negative and tense around her situation in the WNBA,” HoopHerald shared.
This fall from grace needs to be studied
Still an elite talent but everything seems so negative and tense around her situation in the WNBA pic.twitter.com/h1tNOKVD8A
— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) June 7, 2026
“Yikes on bikes 😬,” one user quipped.
“No one who actually watched her college career closely instead of simply getting caught up in all the hype is surprised,” another user claimed.
“Folks called us every name in the book for calling out the sort of entitled behavior, this is nasty behavior from a fellow teammate,” one account wrote.
Folks called us every name in the book for calling out the sort of entitled behavior, this is nasty behavior from a fellow teammate. https://t.co/KsYba0ZY0O
— Queer Latifah ✨ (@TheAfrocentricI) June 7, 2026
The controversial moment has capped a miserable week for Clark.
Opposing defenses have established a clear blueprint to disrupt her game, as teams use bigger defenders to face-guard Clark.
Earlier, during a 100-84 blowout loss to the Portland Fire, Indiana saw the Fire scoring at will by exploiting the Fever’s defensive rotations.
The frustration reached a peak when cameras caught a tense sideline exchange between Clark and head coach Stephanie White.
Naturally, rumors of fallouts and trade whispers ran hot, with both Clark and White having to downplay the incident during media availability later in the week.
Over the last three contests, Clark is averaging just 11.0 points and 7.7 assists while shooting 28.9% from the floor.
Now 5-5, Indiana and Clark looked entirely disjointed, with the Fever star dealing with both off-court and on-court woes. The Fever now prepares for a tough road matchup against the Washington Mystics on Monday.
If Indiana does not tweak its game plan, the Mystics will undoubtedly deploy and find success with the same defensive blueprint that Portland and New York executed to perfection.
