The Indiana Fever arrived at the Chase Center on May 28 riding a three-game win streak, and left with a gut-punch 90-88 loss against the Golden State Valkyries.
Caitlin Clark finished with 16 points, six assists, four rebounds, and three steals, but committed five turnovers and shot just 3 of 12 from the field. Aliyah Boston missed a short shot at the buzzer that could have forced overtime.
Things only got worse two days later against the expansion Portland Fire. Portland’s Megan Gustafson dropped 22 points, Carla Leite racked up 18 points and 12 assists, and the Fever got steamrolled 100-84 before a sellout crowd at the Moda Center.
Clark played just 22 minutes, went 1 for 7 from the field, and finished with a season-low six points, her first single-digit game since June 2025.
Over the two-game stretch, she shot a combined 4-of-19 from the field, the worst two-game shooting span of her career.
Opponents have clearly figured out how to slow down Clark and Indiana’s offense. And suddenly, sitting at 4-4, the Fever look nothing like the No. 3-ranked team ESPN had them pegged at just weeks ago.
Tuesday’s updated ESPN WNBA Power Rankings confirmed exactly that.
The Minnesota Lynx grabbed the No. 1 spot after a 3-0 week that included an 111-77 demolition of Phoenix in the Commissioner’s Cup opener.
The Fever, meanwhile, crashed all the way to No. 11. ESPN’s Michael Voepel wrote that Indiana “must find alternate ways to defend” and warned the team to “keep their circle tight to block out the constant outside noise.”
“The spotlight on Clark never dims,” Voepel added, “which can be a real grind for star players and their teams.”
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And the noise isn’t just on the court.
During Indiana’s loss to Portland, fans caught a heated exchange between Clark and head coach Stephanie White on camera.
White ultimately called Raven Johnson over to take Clark’s spot, and the internet lost its mind.
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Within hours, conspiracy theories were flying.
Analyst Jason Whitlock took on X, claiming White and defensive assistant Briann January had “sabotaged” Clark with an early first-quarter substitution. “It was intentional,” Whitlock added.
Clark showed up Monday and shut it all down. “I ride for Steph. I ride for these girls. Steph has my back more than anybody,” Clark told reporters.
White echoed right back: “My relationship with Caitlin is great. I love Caitlin. I ride with her.”
The Fever also recently banned longtime beat reporter Scott Agness of “Fieldhouse Files” after he reported that Clark wouldn’t play in a game, a move that raised immediate eyebrows about transparency inside the organization.
Short-term, the Fever need answers fast, especially with the Commissioner’s Cup now underway. Indiana has the talent to turn this around, but right now, they’re being beaten by expansion teams and outcoached in crunch time.
