In one of the most anticipated games of the 2025 W season, it was Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever who came out on top against Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings. While the outcome wasn’t a shock considering the Fever’s depth and the long list of injuries plaguing Dallas, an 82-103 blowout wasn’t what most anticipated, especially with Arike Ogunbowale back on the team. Coach Koclanes was visibly frustrated with his team’s performance, and he had a few harsh words to say.

The Fever had 64 points in the first half alone, thanks to their 36-point second quarter performance. They even led the Wings by as many as 29 points in the third quarter. And leading the charge? Caitlin Clark. The guard had a season-best 13 assists, and for the first time this year, she tallied double-digit dimes with fewer than two turnovers.

Paige Bueckers wasn’t bad either! She finished with a game-high 21 points on an efficient 9-of-15 shooting, extending her streak of double-digit scoring games to 17, as she became the fastest guard in the last 15 seasons to reach 300 career points. The Rookie of the Year frontrunner also had 4 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals. But her performance was not enough to deliver the win for the Wings at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse. In the post-game conference, coach Chris Koclandes revealed the reason behind the loss.

“Some turnovers, and then just their physicality in general got into us,” Chris Koclanes said. “Their physicality really, really bothered us in stretches, and kind of took away our flow and continuity. But then again, no excuse for not getting back. I just think we could have had greater effort more consistently in transitions.”

The Wings hung tough in the opening quarter, trailing the Fever by just one point at 28–27. But the second quarter told a very different tale. That’s when Indiana flipped the game on its head, storming to a 22-point lead by halftime. And just turnovers wrote the story of the first half. Indiana cashed in 11 points off Dallas’s mistakes, while the Wings managed only two in return. And it didn’t stop there, the Fever owned the paint, outscoring Dallas 38–18 in the lane. One quarter. That’s all it took to turn a tight contest into a runaway

Paige Bueckers and co finished the game with double the turnovers the Fever had all night. And honestly, it is nothing new as turnovers have haunted the Wings all season long. With 329 total so far, they rank as the fourth-worst team in the league in that department. The issue was on full display in their 93-79 loss to the Sparks last month, where 15 turnovers led to 21 easy points for the Sparks. “I’m not going to make excuses. It starts with me and our staff. I’m going to continue to show up for them, continue to serve them, and we will turn the tide,” Koclanes had said after the game. But clearly, the tide didn’t turn as more turnovers plagued nights kept pouring in.

One more example would be the 65-81 loss to the Minnesota Lynx, just 2 days after the loss to the Sparks. They committed 17 turnovers that game, which the Lynx turned into 24 points. “Self-inflicted wounds,” Koclanes called them. “Turnovers and missed layups lead to tough situations on the other end, and they definitely took advantage of those tonight.” Again, it is clear that those wounds are getting no chance to heal.

Apart from their turnover issue, the lack of size has also been an issue for the Wings. Outside of Yueru, Geiselsöder, and McCowan, most of the Wings’ roster sits around the 6-foot mark. Players like Arike, JJ, and Aziaha are well below that, so getting outmuscled and out-rebounded isn’t all that surprising. It showed in the loss to the Sparks, where they allowed 50 points in the paint. And it showed again tonight. They gave up 58 points in the paint. Just not good enough.

So yes, Coach Koclanes’ frustration was completely valid. But it wasn’t just the defense that fell short. Arike Ogunbowale’s return didn’t go as planned either. She had a dry outing, and Paige had to come out in support of the veteran guard.

Paige Bueckers defends Arike Ogunbowale’s performance

Sunday marked Arike Ogunbowale’s return after missing four games with a thumb injury. But the four-time All-Star just couldn’t find her rhythm. She scored only 2 points and went 0-for-10 from the field. It was the most shots she had ever taken in a game without making a single shot.

Despite the performance, Paige did step in to defend her teammate. “This was the best since I’ve been here that she’s responded to [shooting woes]. It might not have been her night shooting the ball, but the way she continued to stay in the game, not let it affect her effort on both ends of the floor, her being a leader of this team, that was huge for me to be able to see that,” she said.

It’s always nice to see the camaraderie still alive among the Wings teammates, even after their 16th loss of the season. But at this point, you can’t help but wonder, has this season already slipped away, or is there still hope to turn it around? Yes, injuries have played a big part. But do they truly excuse a performance like the one we saw tonight? What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!