It has been over four months since WNBA Draft No. 1 pick Caitlin Clark kick-started her WNBA career against the Sun. However, during the Indiana Fever rookie’s playoff debut on September 22, it still felt a lot like May, mainly because Clark’s much-anticipated dominance never came in her 36 minutes of gameplay on Sunday. She struggled against Connecticut in Game 1, who showed how experience plays a major role in the post-season. Nonetheless, Indiana’s season is not over yet and Clark will ensure they bounce back after the disappointment, as she has done throughout the season, as per an ESPN analyst.

Just like her earlier performances, this low-scoring game will push her to explode in upcoming games. On September 23, ESPN analyst Monica McNutt shared, “Caitlin has a track record of when she has low-scoring games, which we haven’t seen many of, she bounces back with +25-point performances.” According to her, Clark’s game log says it all.

After every low-scoring game, she bounces back with a stellar performance. Well, McNutt’s argument is a fact. The 22-year-old Iowa native had delivered single-digit scoring performances followed up by 20+ points on four different occasions in her rookie year. She scored 9 points against the New York Liberty in her 2nd WNBA game but followed it up with a 22-point performance in the next game against the same opponents.

Clark then had 8 points against Las Vegas on May 25. The next game? She had 30 against the LA Sparks. She had her worst performance of the season a few days later against the Liberty, scoring just 3 points. However, she went off for 30 points in her next game against Washington. Then she had 7 points against Atlanta in June and followed it up with a 23-point performance against Chicago.

Since Clark converted only four out of her 17 attempts, contributing 11 points to the team’s total, something similar is expected in Game 2. But there’s a difference. Game 2 is win-or-go-home for Clark and the Fever.

The Sun defense was all over Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever

To make it even more precise, McNutt gave her perspective. “It was DeWanna Bonner that put that tremendous length. Stephanie White and those guys cooked up a scene that was designed to cut the Fever off at their head, and their head is Caitlin Clark,” added McNutt. For her, the Sun’s Bonner hitting 22 points and head coach Stephanie White were standouts on Sunday.

White’s veteran roster, the No. 1 defensive team this season, was incredible considering the early struggles. Known for their physicality, the Sun didn’t give an inch to any Fever player. McNutt even mentioned how Connecticut has been at least a top-3 defense in four out of the last five seasons. Clark’s poor performance can also be attributed to her getting hit in the eye early on by DiJonai Carrington.

Offensively, they were given a spark by Marina Mabrey, who had 27 points off the bench (Playoff record). But still, as McNutt mentioned, you can never count Caitlin Clark out. The AP Rookie of the Year will have to put it all on the line on Wednesday. If the Fever returns with a win in Game 2, Game 3 will be an interesting affair, especially considering it’ll be played in Indiana.