The Indiana Fever almost stole momentum from the New York Liberty during their latest showdown at Barclays Center. Instead, a game they had fought hard to tie slipped away in the final minutes, and the blame fell on Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell.

After New York secured the 109-102 win, media members focused on clutch-time execution from Clark and Mitchell. One of the most popular reflections on the game was from OutKick reporter Jon Root, whose criticism focused on Clark.

“Caitlin Clark needs to be better in crunch time,” he wrote on X. “You CANNOT let your emotions get the best of you, forcing you to commit a bad foul & then miss two free throws AGAIN at the end of a game…”

Another such note came from SiriusXM host Robin Lundberg on X, who noted that Mitchell looked off Clark during a key sequence late.

“Kelsey Mitchell missed a wide open Caitlin Clark in the corner. She has to make that pass.”

Mitchell had just tied the game at 100 with a three-pointer at 1:44. Unfortunately, New York’s Leonie Fiebich and Breanna Stewart made key plays to go up three, and Clark missed a running layup to put them within one point.

Afterward, Clark made a massive blunder, fouling New York’s Pauline Astier out of frustration and putting her on the free-throw line, letting the guard extend the lead to five. Finally, Clark missed two free throws with under 24 seconds left after being fouled on a shot of her own. This combination of plays eventually caused the game to slip away.

However, Clark and Mitchell had done their best to keep the game within grasp. Clark finished the game with 21 points and seven assists, while Kelsey Mitchell led all scorers with 25 points on 9-15 field goals, making them two of Indiana’s three 20+ point scorers on the night along with Aliyah Boston. Unfortunately for them, New York simply executed better down the stretch.

After the game, head coach Stephanie White addressed her team’s shortcomings, highlighting that they didn’t have the same urgency as their opponents.

“I think this is just an opportunity for us to keep learning how much of a sense of urgency you have to play with every single possession,” White said. “This is playoff basketball right now. It’s playoff basketball, and there has to be an urgency every single possession.”

One key point of focus that might’ve made the difference between the two teams was missed foul shots. The Liberty shot an outstanding 24-of-29 field goals, recording an 83% accuracy, but the Fever converted just 11 of their 22 attempts, which ultimately was the difference in a seven-point loss.

For Indiana, this loss marks a second consecutive one following a five-game winning streak, and with the team sitting at 24-14, the margin for late-game execution is shrinking fast. Only time will tell if the team can bounce back, but right now, the defeat shows us that star power alone is not enough against playoff-ready teams.