The Indiana Fever’s playoff run tipped off without Caitlin Clark and a handful of other key players, and Game 1 already brought some drama.
In Sunday’s 80-68 loss to the Atlanta Dream, Caitlin Clark was spotted doing something unusual — holding back head coach Stephanie White in the fourth quarter. Indiana was already trailing, and after a string of foul calls against them, White lost her cool. About 90 seconds into the final frame, she went at the officials and drew a technical. For a moment, it looked like she might get tossed.
That’s when cameras caught Caitlin Clark, still sidelined with her groin injury, stepping in to steer her coach back toward the bench. Fans quickly pointed out the irony — Clark herself often needs her teammates to calm her down when she’s heated at refs.
From that point, the game spiraled. The Fever’s only lead came early in the first quarter. Once Atlanta settled in, it controlled the tempo, and Indiana never recovered.
“We need a dub”: Caitlin Clark calls on Fever Nation
With the series shifting back to Indianapolis, Caitlin Clark is turning her focus to the fans. Ahead of the Fever’s first home playoff game since 2016, she went on X to rally the city.
“Woo! First [home] playoff game since 2016! I need to see every single person in Indianapolis — whether you’re inside the arena or could be outside the arena, I don’t care — show up, get loud for my teammates!” Clark posted.
She added, “We need a dub, and then we’re taking it back to Atlanta. Let’s go!”
Caitlin Clark may be sidelined, but she’s still in the fight — this time as the team’s loudest voice off the court.
For more basketball content, click on Hardwood Heroics. Sabel Reyes can be reached through sabelreyes22@gmail.com. Other websites under the Sports Heroics umbrella are Gridiron Heroics and Wisconsin Heroics.
Sabel has been working as a field reporter for People’s Television Network (PTV), mainly about the Philippine Basketball Association since 2016 and has been elevated to Executive Producer for sports in 2022. Aside from being on top of the Philippine sports scene, she is also a running enthusiast. You can also follow her on X at @SabelReyes2 and Instagram at @msabelreyes.
