It was vintage Caitlin Clark on Monday night against the Washington Mystics.
With less than 5 seconds to go, Clark caught the ball and drained a game-winning 3-pointer from just in front of the left-wing logo to clinch a 78-76 win at CareFirst Arena.
The win pushed the Indiana Fever to 6-5 and injected Clark with much-needed confidence.
Caitlin Clark Rescues Fever With Late Three vs. Washington Mystics
Thanks to Michaela Onyenwere and Sonia Citron, the Mystics surged late, cutting down Indiana’s 17-point lead. At that point, it looked as if the Fever would once again suffer a late-game collapse.
And after Citron made both of her free throws, Washington was up 76-75 with 4.3 seconds left in the contest.
Washington’s Cotie McMahon gambled on the final inbounds pass, darting forward for a steal, but missed. That left Clark completely unguarded, and after days of making headlines for everything but her shooting, she gave the basketball world exactly what it wanted to see.
An iconic clutch three with less than 2 seconds left.
As the Fever star silenced the home crowd with the shot, social media went into a frenzy with the reactions pouring in.
“CAITLIN CLARK GAME WINNER. OH MY,” LegionHoops exclaimed.
CAITLIN CLARK GAME WINNER. OH MY. pic.twitter.com/1ILaTnkmGd
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 9, 2026
“Caitlin Clark flexing on Cotie McMahon after burying the game-winner. Big Ten rivalries never die,” Underdog WNBA posted, highlighting the history between Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes and McMahon’s Ohio State Buckeyes.
Caitlin Clark flexing on Cotie McMahon after burying the game-winner.
Big Ten rivalries never die.pic.twitter.com/n2zLc6FO5H
— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) June 9, 2026
“Caitlyn Clark missed two free throws and came in clutch to hit the game winning three pointer. ❄️🥶,” Dez Bryant wrote.
Caitlyn Clark missed two free throws and came in clutch to hit the game winning three pointer. ❄️🥶
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) June 9, 2026
“Caitlin Clark with ice in her veins — she drills the game-winning three with 1.2 seconds left in regulation to lift the Fever. Clutch doesn’t begin to cover it. 🤑,” Wire Report WNBA remarked.
Caitlin Clark with ice in her veins — she drills the game-winning three with 1.2 seconds left in regulation to lift the Fever. Clutch doesn’t begin to cover it. 🤑 pic.twitter.com/BJi8inL1EP
— Wire Report WNBA (@WireReportWNBA) June 9, 2026
“The term generational is overused. But Caitlin Clark is generational,” ESPN’s Sam Block declared.
The term generational is overused.
But Caitlin Clark is generational.
— Sam Block (@theblockspot) June 9, 2026
After the game, Clark addressed the game-defining moment and admitted, “Cotie (McMahon) almost got a fingertip on (the inbounds pass). It kind of worked out perfectly that she went for the steal, and honestly, probably the most wide open shot I had all night, so my hands got a little clammy, but still went in, I guess.”
“Nobody’s gonna look back and be like, ‘Oh, the Fever probably should have lost this game, but made a buzzer beater,'” she continued.
“No, it’s W. It’s a win for us. We’re happy about that, but you go back and look at everything and find a way to improve, and certainly improve our defense the best we can.”
The Fever needed every bit of that offensive output to hold off an aggressive Mystics defense.
Clark finished the night with 19 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists. Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell chipped in with 14 and 15 points, respectively.
Although foul trouble still lingered for Clark, who had accumulated her third one by the second quarter, this performance was the exact bounce-back she and the Indiana franchise needed.
