Why is Indiana Fever Game Delayed Tonight? Valkyries Reveal Truth Behind Shot-Clock Malfunction at Chase Center

If I had to name the second most important presence in the arena after the ball and the baskets, it wouldn’t be Caitlin Clark. It would be the shot clock, the quiet metronome of the game. Fans glare at it, officials lean on it, players live by it. It is the unseen referee of basketball. And since 2015, to Tissot’s great fortune, the NBA, WNBA, and G League have all depended on its precision to preserve fairness. “For the past decade, Tissot has been a valued partner of the NBA, WNBA and NBA G League. Because of its commitment to innovation, precision and creativity,” said Salvatore LaRocca, NBA’s president of global partnerships.

As in January, that bond deepened with a multiyear extension. But seven months later, as the Indiana Fever met the Golden State Valkyries in late August, LaRocca must have regretted his words about “precision”. As what was meant to be a routine contest became a marathon, the first half alone stretched to 1 hour and 32 minutes. Yes, the game tipped off at 8:30 p.m. and the half mercifully ended at 10:10. For comparison, the Mystics-Sparks matchup earlier the same day wrapped up its entire four quarters in 1:49.

These types of delays rarely yield anything good. Still, this one gave Caitlin Clark a chance to share hugs with familiar faces: Claire Kittle and her husband, George. A San Francisco 49ers tight end and a fellow Iowa alum, who was seated courtside. The detour came courtesy of a Chase Center power outage earlier in the day. This left the shot clocks out of sync. “Earlier today the Golden State Valkyries were delayed due to a technical issue with the shot clocks due to a power outage this morning.” The team explained in a statement shared by IndyStar’s Chloe Peterson. “Game play has resumed, and these issues will be addressed accordingly.”

The glitches showed first with 9:25 left in the second quarter. It was when the clock failed to reset after an Indiana Fever rebound. The play stopped for five minutes, tinkering followed, then the game rolled on as usual. Only to freeze again less than a minute later. This time, the pause stretched to 19 surreal minutes. It was a pause long enough for players to retreat to the locker room and the arena to sit in uneasy silence. That’s when Clark, en route to the back, crossed paths with the Kittles.

Eventually, the game limped back to life, though without its signature over-basket timers. The crew wheeled in portable shot clocks onto the baseline floor. They were tucked beside the photographers, glowing like temporary stand-ins for a system gone dark. “Play is starting again without the over basket shot clocks. Shot and game clocks are now off to the side, near where the photographers sit on the baseline,” Peterson reported. It was a new look that sure came in earlier than anyone expected…

The New Era of Shot Clocks

Just months earlier, Tissot had stood proudly in Paris. The organization unveiled what’s meant to be the future of basketball timekeeping. On January 24, 2025, the Swiss watchmaker and the NBA, WNBA, and G League announced a multiyear extension of their global marketing partnership. It was billed as the dawn of “a new era of the NBA and WNBA Tissot Shot Clock.”

“This new shot clock is a testament of our commitment to being an integral part of the game,” said Tissot CEO Sylvain Dolla. “Through the shot clock and the Official Watch that are perfect synergies between Tissot and the NBA, WNBA and NBA G League, we will speak to the basketball community. Our collaboration goes beyond the court. It’s about inspiring a lifestyle that reflects the passion, energy, and dedication to the game itself.”

Flanked by NBA legend Tony Parker and 2024 WNBA champion Sabrina Ionescu, Dolla and NBA partnerships chief Salvatore LaRocca unveiled the clock’s upgrades. It will be a round design inspired by Tissot’s heritage. The clock will have full RGB LED light strips capable of glowing in any color. It will have an integration of the green coaches’ challenge signal. It was 20% lighter, modular for easier maintenance, and designed to “make it easier for players and fans to follow the game,” LaRocca promised.

Rolled out across marquee events like the NBA All-Star, the Emirates NBA Cup, and soon the WNBA (2026), the clock is focused on innovation and precision. Now, on this strange August night in San Francisco, the newer technology seems to be much needed.