Former ESPN anchor Linda Cohn didn't hold back in her assessment of the Indiana Fever's 93-77 loss to the Washington Mystics, pointing squarely at the coaching staff for a team that looked unprepared in a critical late-season matchup.

Speaking on The Linda Cohn Show, Cohn zeroed in on Indiana's flat start and lack of energy from the opening tip. 

"When a team comes out like that, I tend to blame the coaching staff for not having these players prepared," she said. "I would do it for any team, any sport, when a team comes out flat. I blame the coaches."

The stats backed up her frustration. Indiana fell behind 34-17 after the first quarter and trailed 51-30 at halftime, shooting just 36.6 percent from the field and 21.4 percent from three, finishing with 77 points, one of the team's lowest totals of the season. 

“Caitlin Clark can do just so much. And now the best team in the league is waiting for them in the Minnesota Lynx. And they are licking their chops,” concluded Cohn on The Linda Cohn Show as posted on X.

Clark scored 25 points but struggled with efficiency, going 6-for-20 from the field and 30 percent from three while committing five turnovers. Kelsey Mitchell added 22, but the rest of the roster provided almost nothing offensively.

The loss carries real consequences. Indiana dropped to 27-15 and fell a full game behind Atlanta for the No. 4 seed, which comes with first-round home-court advantage. With two tough games left against league-leading Minnesota, the Fever risk slipping further, with a worst-case scenario that could push them as low as the No. 8 seed depending on other results.

Clark's on-court frustration mirrors Cohn's critique

Caitlin Clark's frustration with the Indiana Fever's defensive performance boiled over publicly on Sunday, directed straight at head coach Stephanie White during a disastrous first quarter against Washington, as published by Marca.

With the Mystics leading 31-17 and 58.7 seconds left in the opening period, Clark turned toward the bench while preparing for an inbound pass and spoke directly to White, visibly frustrated over the team's inability to contain Washington. 

Indiana's defense ranked among the league's worst, and Washington took full advantage, scoring 50 points in the paint on 56.9 percent shooting, while the Fever shot just 36.6 percent and trailed 51-30 at halftime in the eventual 93-77 loss. 

The moment amplified existing scrutiny of White's coaching, echoing criticism from figures like Linda Cohn, who argued Clark "can do just so much" without stronger support around her.

Do you think the coaching staff or the players bear more responsibility for Sunday's collapse?

Written by

Zaid Quraishi