“That’s probably what’s frustrating about it. … We are two possessions from being 4–0,” Caitlin Clark admitted after the Fever’s gut-wrenching loss to the defending champs, New York Liberty. Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse felt like a playoff clash—full of fire, grit, and high stakes. The Fever had built a 12-point cushion in the fourth, but last year’s Finals MVP Jonquel Jones had other plans. She outscored Indiana on her own in the final quarter, leading the Liberty to a dramatic comeback win. It wasn’t Clark’s best outing, and she knew it.

The Liberty opened the third with a 9-point cushion, but the Fever weren’t backing down. They turned the tide and charged into the fourth with an 8-point lead—sparked by Caitlin Clark draining two threes, including a buzzer-beater that brought the house down. Then came Jonquel Jones. The Finals MVP took over, dropping 14 points in the final quarter to push the Liberty ahead 88-86. But Aliyah Boston wasn’t done—she calmly knocked down two clutch free throws to tie it up at 88 with just 36 seconds left. The stage was set for a dramatic finish.

But what came next left Coach Stephanie White visibly frustrated. Right after the timeout, Clark attempted a 30-foot three-pointer, an unexpected shot which ended up turning the ball over—a costly possession lost. “I mean, we were looking for something going to the rim, and, you know, I think we got a switch on the ball screen and probably could have looked for AB. You know, I think collectively this is part of our growth,” White said in the postgame conference, explaining the play.

But the frustration didn’t stop there for Coach Stephanie White. Once again, her team couldn’t get a bucket on the final possession–and it ended up costing them the game. The Fever had one last chance to tie or win. The ball went to Caitlin Clark, who tried to create space but appeared to be bumped by Natasha Cloud with just 1.2 seconds left. Despite the clear contact, no foul was called. Clark couldn’t get the shot off and was visibly frustrated as the final buzzer sounded.

Both of Indiana’s losses so far have come by a combined three points. They had also fallen to the Atlanta Dream at home on Tuesday, missing a last-second shot in that one, too. While Caitlin was clearly frustrated with how things unfolded on the final play, she also acknowledged that her own performance wasn’t up to par.

In the postgame press conference, Clark said, “Yeah, I did not have my best shooting night. I thought I could have taken care of the ball a little bit better. Had some tough ones—ones where my arm was getting grabbed, but whatever.” Clark went 6-of-18 from the field and just 2-of-11 from beyond the arc, finishing with 18 points, 10 assists, and 5 rebounds. By her standards, it wasn’t a great shooting night. But what really made it a tough outing was the 10 turnovers she committed—something you rarely see from the Indiana superstar.

The Fever now gets a few days to regroup and address the issues that cost them against the Liberty. With time to reset and refocus, they’ll be looking to clean things up on both ends of the floor. So, what’s next on the schedule? Let’s take a look.

Caitlin Clark and Co. to face the Washington Mystics next

The Fever have had a packed start to their WNBA season, playing four games in just eight days. Now, they finally get a brief breather before hitting the road for their next matchup. They’ll face the Washington Mystics on Wednesday, May 28, giving them a few valuable days to rest, recover, and tighten things up. But there’s no reason for concern yet.

If you’re expecting the Fever to blow out teams like New York or the Minnesota Lynx by double digits, you might be in for a letdown. This Indiana squad is clearly still finding its footing. And honestly, that’s exactly where they should be. The team has real depth, no doubt, but they haven’t yet learned how to win consistently as a true unit like the WNBA’s top squads. And you know what? That’s totally okay!

The Fever made some big moves in the offseason, bringing in players like DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, and Sophie Cunningham. But arguably the most important addition came on the sidelines, with Stephanie White replacing Christie Sides as head coach. Keep in mind, this is only Caitlin Clark’s second WNBA season and Aliyah Boston’s third. With so much change, the Fever are still finding their rhythm, even if they’ve let a couple of games slip away. Still, the team is right there, competing with the best of the best. So there’s a lot to be excited about!