It’s becoming a trend—Indiana’s coaching staff increasingly finds itself in rare agreement with its rivals. Just a few nights ago, following a win over the Connecticut Sun, Fever head coach Stephanie White and Sun coach Rachid Meziane expressed identical frustrations over what they saw as “unfair” officiating. And now, even in White’s absence due to illness, assistant coach Austin Kelly struck a surprisingly similar tone to Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase following the Fever’s 87–78 loss on Sunday. This time, the subject wasn’t the refs—it was Caitlin Clark.

Clark entered the game riding a solid stretch of offensive form. In the three games prior, she averaged 18.3 points and 7.6 assists, including her first career 30-point game and multiple 7+ assist nights. But against the Valkyries, her rhythm vanished. Clark shot just 3-for-14 from the field, missed all seven of her 3-point attempts, and turned the ball over six times. It marked her second-worst shooting performance of the season and the fifth game where she shot under 25% from deep. The pressure was on—and the Valkyries had come prepared.

Natalie Nakase’s defensive scheme zeroed in on Clark’s most comfortable spots, especially her left step-back shot. “You guys saw what we’re doing, right?” Nakase said postgame. “But like I said in the prior press conference, we were being disruptive. We know that she doesn’t like physicality. We know that she wants to get to that left step-back. I mean, I watch her at Iowa—she loves that left step-back. It’s like a layup for her. So again, we were just making sure she wasn’t getting into rhythm, and that she was just seeing multiple bodies.” Nakase’s scouting was dead-on.

According to Synergy Sports tracking data from her college days, Clark shot over 42% on left step-backs across her final two seasons at Iowa, often using them to initiate fourth-quarter runs. But on Sunday, she rarely even got those looks off cleanly. Valkyries defenders Kayla Thornton and Tiffany Hayes cut off her left side and shaded hard on every pick-and-roll, either blitzing or switching quickly to keep Clark out of rhythm. Their help-side defenders collapsed early, showing Clark extra bodies before she even crossed into her shooting pocket. The result? No easy pull-ups, no open rhythm jumpers, and a star player visibly rattled. Moreover, Austin Kelly didn’t dispute the effectiveness of Nakase’s approach. Instead, he echoed it.

In the post-game presser, he was subtly calling out what’s becoming a league-wide strategy. “They did a really good job of being physical with her,” Kelly said. “That’s going to be the game plan all year long. I thought early on we were moving it—we started the game with 13 assists on 14 made baskets. But we got away from that in the second half, and the lack of ball movement kind of allowed them to just, you know, really beat her up. When we move it, a lot of good stuff happens—we’re able to punch gaps, get to our sprays, and it gets back to her. But they did a good job of being physical and making it tough for her at the point.”

The contrast between the Fever’s ball movement in the two halves was stark. Per WNBA stats, Indiana had 14 assists on 17 field goals in the first half but managed just 6 assists in the second half. Clark, often isolated at the top, was forced into tough, off-balance shots or picked off before she could create. That stagnation gave defenders a clearer path to body her up, legally or not. It was a glaring case study of how Indiana’s offensive fluidity—or lack thereof—can directly affect Clark’s impact. Despite her struggles, the rest of the Fever roster stepped up.

Aliyah Boston posted a strong double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds, Kelsey Mitchell added 16 points, and Natasha Howard dropped 13. Sophie Cunningham chipped in with 9 off the bench. But it still wasn’t enough to counter a balanced Valkyries offense that saw six players score in double digits, led by Kayla Thornton’s 16 and Tiffany Hayes’ 14.

Ironically, this game underscored Indiana’s growing dependency on Clark more than ever, perhaps even more so than when she missed games due to injury and the team managed to grind out wins without her. When Clark’s game is neutralized, so is the Fever’s identity. And opposing teams know it.

Was Caitlin Clark distracted?

We are all aware that Caitlin Clark has somehow become the Indiana Pacers’ good-luck charm during their wild playoff run. At one point, they were a perfect 8-0 With her sitting courtside. It was an unbeaten streak that turned her into this team’s unofficial playoff mascot. Her presence even seemed to break their Game 3 curse, with the Pacers finally snagging their first Game 3 win of the postseason against the Thunder.

But before Game 4 (which they eventually lost), Clark already knew she would miss a potential Game 6. “Hopefully, they can finish it out in five because I won’t be able to come for Game 6,” she said. There, she pointed to her prior commitment with the Fever for yesterday’s (June 19) game against the Golden State Valkyries in San Francisco. Of course, in a twist of fate, the Pacers lost Game 5, too.

That dragged the series not just to a Game 6 but all the way to a do-or-die Game 7. We speculate that this scheduling clash might have weighed on Clark during her own game against the Valkyries. It could have played a part in her off night. Before the Fever tipped off, she admitted, “I wish it didn’t fall on the same night as us, but I feel good about the Pacers here in Game 6. I think they’re gonna push it to a Game 7. I think all basketball fans would appreciate a Game 7 in OKC.”

With a smile, she added, “It’s probably starting right about now, I’m assuming. Honestly, I’ll probably check the score a few times when I go on my phone before the game starts, but other than that, I’m probably not gonna know the final score until after our game.” Luckily for Indiana, at least one team came through. The Pacers managed to force Game 7.

Now, here’s the funny part: the Fever have to play the Aces on June 23, the same night as the Pacers’ winner-takes-all Game 7 against the Thunder. It’s a few hours apart, though. But this time, fans will be hoping Clark keeps her focus locked on her own game instead of splitting attention between the outcome of another Indiana squad battling on the opposite coast.