Indiana Fever’s rising sun had a cold morning. Clark’s threes clanked. Turner’s minutes tanked. The Aces won. The Fever fumbled. And yet, the loudest blame game in women’s basketball this week had nothing to do with Caitlin Clark’s shot.
Because, somehow, it wasn’t about her 1-of-10 night from deep—it was about who was next to her.

“Caitlin has played 18 minutes without Turner on the floor today,” wrote Mick on X. “She has 8 assists and 1 turnover. Caitlin has played 4 minutes with Turner today, she has 1 assist, 3 turnovers… 2 of them due to complete mess ups in the roll from Turner.”

The post went viral. Never mind that Clark finished with eight turnovers total—her second-highest this season. Or that she shot 7-of-20 from the field and just 1-of-10 from three. The narrative shifted. Clark’s 19 points and 11 assists? Almost irrelevant. The microscope now hovered over Brianna Turner’s four-minute stint—and that was all it took.

So, how did that happen? Well, it might sound wild, but on Sunday, Clark opened the game with nine assists in the first half alone, helping Indiana race to a 10-point lead early and a 6-point cushion at the half. Her vision popped. Her passing stitched the floor together.

So much so that Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy tweeted mid-game:
“Caitlin still can’t find her shot but is on pace for 24 assists. TWENTY FOUR.”

That would’ve matched the WNBA single-game assist record set by Courtney Vandersloot.

But in the second half, the fever unraveled. A’ja Wilson, who started cold, finished blazing with 24 points. The Fever’s team-wide 18 turnovers (eight from Clark, yes, but also four from bench players) became the gash Las Vegas exploited. The Aces went on a 9–2 run with the game tied 69–69 and never looked back.

Indiana shot 48.6% from the floor—better than Vegas. They rebounded better. They scored more points in the paint. But the free-throw gap (Vegas hit 19-of-21; Indiana attempted just nine) and the points-off-turnover differential (28-16) told the real story.

The Fever aren’t moving at Clark’s pace—yet. They want to play fast. They want to free her. But rhythm, like chemistry, isn’t built in a lab. It’s felt. 

And while people are quick to blame Turner, the fact is that Clark and Turner didn’t even play together for the entire first half. And the truth is, Clark was already having a rough second half; she had two turnovers in the third quarter, and not all of her reads were sharp. Clark and Turner shared the floor for barely four minutes in the fourth, during which the two turnovers occurred.

This is why the Fever needs to unlock a new gear that lets teammates like Turner play better alongside Clark, or they will remain under the scanner. Fans will point fingers. Clips will circulate. But this isn’t a one-player fix.

And that’s why Mick from Talks Hoops Analysis highlights a question puzzling every Indiana fan right now—what’s holding Caitlin back?

Fans React: What’s Really Holding Caitlin Clark Back?

Some fans have the answer.

One fan said, “Colson & Turner got way too much time and at the same time! White feels like she owes these players playing time! Fvck that, you owe them nothing! She does the same subs every game no matter how the game is going! She subs like Sides!”

Well, not exactly. Turner was not on the floor for more than six minutes. In fact, this year she’s averaging just 3.4 minutes per game—less than the 9.4 she played last year with the Chicago Sky. But yes, Sydney Colson is being utilized far more than she ever has been in her career. Colson’s averaging 16.3 minutes per game, possibly because Coach Stephanie White is experimenting with different offensive styles and passing hubs to free up Clark.

Another fan said, “Bri should be on the bench.”

Well, as pointed out above, she already is. Turner’s not a starter. She’s a bench player for a reason.

One fan said, “Think Turner needs more practice in real games, her passes are something to get used to. Turner looked nervous her first minute with the pass off.”

That’s fair. Maybe it’s the nerves, and she definitely needs time to sync with Clark’s playmaking. As Mick pointed out, two of Clark’s turnovers came from “mess-ups in the roll from Turner.”

Another fan said, “Bri simply needs to go.”

Well, Aari McDonald was waived after her hardship contract with the Indiana Fever ended on June 13, 2025. So if they waive Bri, too, they’ll be short. But yeah, it’s fair to give the Fever the benefit of the doubt for now.

The players who were injured are back, but not yet back in form. DeWanna Bonner is still out, and Damiris Dantas has EuroBasket duties. So it’s understandable that the Fever are still trying to find rhythm with their bench unit.

The Fever are smack dab in the middle of the season after all.

One fan added, “Turner has no business ever being on the floor.”

That’s a bit harsh. Stephanie White probably chose her for a reason. If things don’t improve, maybe that changes, but not just yet.