Remember that line from Taylor Swift’s “Mad Woman”: “And you’ll poke that bear ’til her claws come out”? That’s exactly what ESPN analyst Elle Duncan did at halftime of tonight’s WNBA All-Star Game. She has already been on the wrong side of Caitlin Clark fandom for her past comments. Like when she said, “You’re right… There’s never been more viewership because of Caitlin Clark… But you know what there was in the WNBA last year and years prior? Other storylines. There was joy, there was talk of competition. There was talk of what was actually happening on the court.” So tonight, she didn’t hold back when Team Clark found themselves down big. Although this time, you can bet CC supporters were wishing she had fired the comments a little earlier.

By halftime during the All-Star matchup, Team Collier was leading 82-60 and Duncan called it out blunt. She said, “Well, again, we hope it gets a little bit more competitive, because like a girl’s trip to Cancun right now, there’s no D. It’s a 22-point game for Team Collier.” And that’s when Caitlin Clark put on the “coaching hat” that head coach Sandy Brondello had promised. “I will give the coaching hat to her as much as she wants, to be quite honest…. She’s been very active on the sideline when she wasn’t playing.” Truly, it’s a role that Clark has thrived in before.

She did the same during her five-game absence with a quad strain (including the hyped Fever-Sky clash). And also during the Commissioner’s Cup Final (out with a left groin injury). The Fever won both with her guiding from the bench. And tonight, she tried to spark Team Clark the same way. Cameras caught the squad huddled around Coach Clark at halftime as she gestured, tweaked positions, and helped close the gap. Team Clark even outscored Team Collier 36-32 in the fourth, clawing back some lost pride. However, it wasn’t enough. Only if she had stepped into the role a little early, the gap wouldn’t have been as wide as a 131-151 defeat.

The whole situation was especially a double sting after the pregame exchange Coach Clark had with Captain Phee. They were in a very playful mode. Caitlin Clark was pulling on faces as Napheesa Collier dropped the age-old line: “I do think defense wins games.” Clark, the most loved offensive player of the W, shot back with a smirk. She said, “Good offense means good defense… the Defensive Player of the Year would say that…she has to.” At that time it was a lighthearted banter, sure. But not so much when Team Clark’s defense actually faltered and ESPN’s Elle Duncan called it out.

However, after witnessing the way she has handled missed opportunities, one thing’s clear: Caitlin Clark knows how to put on a strong front, never letting that double sting show.

Injured Caitlin Clark Balances All-Star Fun, Leadership and Recovery in Indy

Caitlin Clark did squeeze in some treatment for her injured right groin. But she didn’t spend the whole weekend with trainers. Instead, she made sure to enjoy the moment. “I’m not going to say I’ve just been getting round-the-clock treatment,” Clark said during the pregame press conference with fellow captain Napheesa Collier. “I’ve still been trying to enjoy this weekend and soak all this in. Once tomorrow comes around, I’ll completely shift my focus to getting as healthy as possible.”

The injury kept her out of Wednesday’s first-half finale in New York, Friday’s 3-point contest in front of a packed Gainbridge Fieldhouse, and Saturday’s All-Star Game. And now, it’s up in the air whether she’ll be back by Tuesday when the Fever face the defending champs, one last time this regular season.

This definitely wasn’t the campaign, or the weekend that Caitlin Clark pictured back in May. She never missed a game in college or during her Rookie of the Year run last season. But this year, three separate injuries have sidelined her for 10 games, all while her Indiana is hovering mid-standings.

When she got hurt last Tuesday in the final minute of their win over Connecticut, she knew what was coming. But she chose to pick the positive. “Maybe I’m not able to play in the game, but I can still be here and participate and I have a ton of friends and family in town that are having a really good time.”

She kept that same energy all weekend. She kept joking about trash talk and late nights, weighing in on the new CBA talks, and soaking up Indy’s first All-Star Weekend like everyone else. “I think this weekend has been absolutely incredible,” she said. “I hope every player in the league… felt the same and the love from the city.”