The Indiana Fever locker room seems to have slipped into hibernation mode after their massive 2025 Commissioner’s Cup win. After all, not only did they defeat the defending champions but also ousted one of the top-ranked teams in the W by a 15-point margin. However, this victory came at a price. While it silenced the unnecessary chatter surrounding the team’s incompetence, the win also doused the team’s fire to perform better. That 2-point loss against the Sparks? Brutal. Now, things went further downhill when Caitlin Clark joined the active roster.

Touted as one of the worst performances of the season, the Indiana Fever massively struggled against the Golden State Valkyries today. But it all started in the first quarter, with Clark losing control and hitting the floor. This set the precedent for what lay in store for the team. While they managed to dominate the first quarter (23-21), the Valkyries killed even the Fever’s faintest hopes of winning, and as a result, the team landed with an 80-61 loss in their belt. With that, the Fever recorded their second-fewest points of the season.

And while Clark took the entire blame on behalf of the locker room in a post-game interview, head coach Stephanie White was not impressed. Having said that, Moreau Sports Media took to X and broke some important news. As someone who aspires to clinch a league title, White decided to make significant locker room changes. “I like the ability to have two primary on the floor being able to give the opponent different looks,” HC White confessed in a post-game interview. “Quite frankly for C, especially not having to have her play under duress 94 feet. We’ll continue to work on that.”

Needless to say, fans will now watch Clark play off-ball on the hardwood. This news comes as a shock to fans and reporters alike. After all, the 2024 Rookie of the Year has been a primary ball handler for the franchise. But things look difficult after Clark went just 4-of-12 from the field for 10 points, with six assists and five rebounds against the Valkyries in 25 minutes.

Moreover, this technique of keeping Clark off the ball will propel the Fever into creating more plays. White had discussed this option a day prior to the tipoff against the Valkyries. “If she’s in action off the ball or even if she’s spacing the floor off the ball, she’s going to open up things for everybody else,” HC White had said. With all eyes on Clark, can the 23-year-old break the losing streak to bring the Fever on track? That remains to be seen. But one is clear: her absence was felt throughout.

Stephanie White had felt the absence of Caitlin Clark

“I don’t know where we’re going to be because Caitlin hasn’t been on the floor. That’s obviously a huge piece for us and what we do,” the head coach of the Indiana Fever had said. As a primary ball handler, Caitlin Clark was the driving factor for the team’s victory. But when she was sidelined for the second time, it was a huge hit to the roster.

While the team displayed an inconsistent gameplay during Clark’s earliest regular game absence, things were different this time. The Fever not only displayed more hunger on the hardwood, but their combined efforts and determination were enough to solidify the team as the 2025 Commissioner’s Cup champions. Needless to say, the Indiana Fever battled against two top-ranked teams, in Minnesota Lynx and the Las Vegas Aces, and emerged victorious.

However, the team started losing patience as Clark’s tenure on the bench kept increasing. While the locker room managed an impressive two-game streak, they fell into a slump without Clark. As a result, the Fever garnered a glaring 2-point deficit against the Los Angeles Sparks.

With another two-game losing streak in their belt, can Caitlin Clark transform the fate of the Indiana Fever and bring the team on track? While the brutal 80-61 loss against the Golden State Valkyries poses a major threat to the storybook run, is today’s loss a warning bell or just a pebble in the road? Only time will tell.