The celebrations of the 25th anniversary came to an early end for Indiana. Tonight was another disappointing night for the Fever fans as the team lost 102-66 on its home turf. Despite trying to keep up with the flow, Caitlin Clark and Co. could not get equal with last year’s finalists. Moreover, even their No. 1 draft pick could not perform her best, sending fans into spirals to believe that she might not be their savior.

Fever’s star rookie Caitlin Clark only grabbed 9 points and 7 rebounds with a game-high 6 assists. While her defensive numbers are going up, looks like she is unable to maintain her frontcourt abilities. Much less for her beyond the arc and midcourt shots as she only made 1 successful triple in 7 tries.

The results may be so because the Liberty boasts veterans like Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones. The team did not perform well defensively last season which cost them the title. Hence, this year, they seem focused on the backcourt while keeping their offense in top-notch form. Continuing their winning streak early into the season, the Liberty won their second game. However, how they thrashed Indiana was quite shocking. In the very first half, the lead went to a high of 17 points. By the end of the 40 minutes, New York was up by 36 points.

While the Fever did change the speed a little, the vets in Liberty were too equipped to go with it. Consequently, Indiana fans are losing their patience as their beliefs of Clark changing the fate of one of the lower ranking teams come crashing; seems like the No. 1 draft has yet to complete her transformation.

“Caitlin ain’t gonna fix”: The Caitlin Clark effect changes direction after her second consecutive loss

It has hardly been a month since Caitlin Clark left Des Moines for Indiana. However, the tag on her name is quite pricey. Hence, with yet another loss in the books for the team, fans are losing hope in the team. One fan took shots at the rookie calling her a bust and suggesting that they should have picked Angel Reese instead. During their preseason exhibition, the Sky had thrashed the Liberty out of their home with a 53-101 loss.

Another basketball fan welcomed Clark to the professional world of the WNBA. They also suggested that she is not in college anymore where she will be playing against immature hoopers. Instead, these women lay emphasis on experience, teamwork, professionalism, before a larger crowd.

One Clark fan took a bullet for the young talent saying that this is a team sport. Hence, even if the rookie plays her best, the entire team will have to reflect. Surely, in her WNBA career debut, Caitlin Clark grabbed 20 points, which impressed Stephen A. Smith. However, because the team’s efforts were lacking, they ultimately lost. The basketball follower also mentioned how the offensive coaching was subpar. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft only got a total of 8 shots tonight, which everyone believes is on Christie Sides.

Remember how Lisa Bluder built the entire Hawkeyes team according to Clark so she could do her magic on the floor? And something similar is what this fan wants Christie Sides to do. In their opinion, if Clark is only confident to shoot 25% of her shots, maybe the chances should be increased. There is no denying that once she gets into the rhythm, the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer can be an offensive menace for the opponents.

One Caitlin Clark fan straight-forwardly expressed their disappointment in the team. Siding with Clark and calling her the key to a kingdom, the fan called out Christie Sides and the team for not bringing the rookie to the first position. Instead, in almost the entire game, she was on the sidelines, waiting for someone to pass her the ball.

The fans anger is justifiable considering the money spent on the sell out arenas and the jerseys to watch the 2024 AP Player of the Year show her prowess on the floor. However, it also comes as an essentiality to know the 22-year-old has only played her second game in the W. And as she has iterated, “getting more comfortable, that’s going to come with experience and getting to play with these girls.” Until then, the Fever has a chance at redemption as they visit New York at Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn tomorrow. Hopefully, for the fans, the team will perform better than tonight.