You can expect the Fever to always show up when needed. Like they recently did in the matchup against the undefeated Liberty. In this season, where we spot squads functioning in silos, here the whole team acted as an ideal unit. Lexie Hull herself said, “I think just being able to trust 1 through 11. We are going to go out there and have each other’s backs and work through those tough times.” She especially acknowledged Sophie Cunningham’s contribution in their much needed 3rd quarter run.

The Fever proved that they learned well from their past mistakes against the Atlanta. As Caitlin Clark said, “This is where we grew today; in the past, that’s where we would crumble. That’s exactly where we crumbled in Atlanta in our last game. We were tied at half, came out in the third quarter, and fell apart. Today, we really stuck together. I’m just proud of everybody.” The Fever beat New York by 14, and they had to. Because ironically, CC suffered her injury in an earlier game against the Liberty, so this time, it was personal for the whole squad. CC led the victory’s charge like always and dropped 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists in 31 minutes.

However, she didn’t take all the credit.

“That’s how the Fever are supposed to play basketball. Uptempo, unselfish, working for your teammates. Really proud of our group,” she said. After all, that third quarter fire had everyone working in tandem.

From 7:01 to 2:01, Indiana uncorked a 25–3 run that left the Liberty scrambling for answers. Threes were flying in from every direction—Clark, Colson, Dantas, Hull, and Mitchell all took turns torching the net. By the time the fourth rolled around, Indiana wasn’t just closing the game, they were making a statement. Kelsey Mitchell dropped 10 points, while Colson and Sophie Cunningham each added three more. And Sophie’s triple wasn’t just any shot, it was the 17th three-pointer of the night, setting a new franchise record. Also, besides Clark, four other players scored in double figures, with 25 assists dished out as a team. That’s the definition of

Uptempo and Unselfish. However, it wasn’t just the Fever’s efficiency that led to the win.

New York’s defensive choices played right into Indiana Fever’s hands. And Clark didn’t hold back from exposing them.

“Man, I just love playing with AB,” she said, praising Aliyah Boston. “I thought we could have found her for a few more touches, but on the PnR they really slid over and helped, which led to us having open threes on the backside.” Clark was referring to how the Liberty was over-committed on defense and how they used that flaw to swing the ball to open-shooters behind the arc.

Clark nailed seven threes, including three straight in 38 seconds after detecting New York’s switch-heavy approach.

“You just have to pick and choose what you’re gonna take away,” she said. It was honeslty a full-circle statement by her after how the last game unpacked. And as for New York, they just got unlucky and ran into a version of Caitlin Clark with unfinished business, with no intention of leaving it that way. Yet, amidst the cheers, everyone was mulling over one thing.

Locker room injustice upon Caitlin Clark’s return

It was shocking when the whole league passed up on her, but then she got a chance with the Fever. Aari McDonald didn’t just fill in when Caitlin Clark got hurt, she made an impact of her own. Signed on a hardship contract with everything on the line, she brought speed, tenacious defense, and steady support. She managed to put up 11 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals per game while shooting 37% from three, all in limited action. In her debut, she dished out five assists without a single turnover. In short, she gave it her all.

Coach Stephanie White even praised her as “the ultimate point guard.” But the moment Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham were back, McDonald was let go. Not because she underperformed or didn’t fit the franchise, but because the rules prioritize roster limits and salary caps over genuine contributions. It’s more than frustrating; it feels straight up, unfair. Surely, in the locker room, teammates had to feel the weight of that decision.

After all, McDonald stepped up when needed, helped the team win, and kept spirits high. Her release was purely about logistics. Fans were outspoken, with some even argued that the team should have waived someone else to keep her on a full contract. But that’s the harsh reality of the WNBA’s salary cap and roster restrictions. Once the active roster hits 10 players, the hardship exception has to end. And this time, McDonald was the odd one out. The timing only made it worse: as the league’s most visible star returned, one of its most underrated players had to walk away. The contrast couldn’t have been sharper.