Caitlin Clark had an untoward outing in her last game against the Golden State Valkyries as the Fever lost 90-88. Even during the game, Clark got involved in a heated exchange with the Valkyries' guard, Tiffany Hayes. But the Fever No. 22 later mentioned that she didn't carry the hard feelings out of the court.

The minor altercation between Clark and Hayes took place in the third quarter of the match after she shot a 3 almost from the logo. Clark's lunging action and Hayes' intention to guard her got the two in a clumsy situation that had the former asking the latter to get out "of her face." While Hayes also did some talking, Clark later stated that she didn't want to hold any grudges.

The Fever No. 22 said, "I mean, for myself, you’re just a competitor, and you leave it on the court. I don’t think there’s anything you carry over into the next game – at least, I’m gonna speak for me, I don’t know about the other side."

She continued elaborating, saying that she approaches every game in the same way and doesn't have any conflicts with any player in the league.

"It’s just the competitive fire," she stated. "And it’s the competitive fire my teammates play with, too. I don’t come in here with any sort of mindset that’s different than any way that I approach any other game."

Regarding the early altercation in the first game, Hayes also went on social media, liking many controversial posts, and was also seen complaining about the referees not officiating Clark properly.

"They’re never going to start calling the fouls on her," she said. "If they did, she would never get to play the game."

But it seems like the altercation has been put aside, with Clark and the Indiana Fever now focusing on how to get back to winning ways instead.

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever’s Road Up Ahead

This rematch loss against the Valkyries marks Fever's third loss of the season, with four wins in hand. Clark was again crucial for the Fever, scoring 16 points and 6 assists for the team.

The Fever will play against the Portland Fire next on May 30. The Fire are currently on a three-game winning streak, winning a total of five games out of the eight played by them.

If we look into the players who can become vital for the Fever, Clark comes first, averaging 23.8 points, nine assists, 4.4 rebounds, and one block per game.

But with coach Stephanie White confirming that Clark may not be available for future games due to her ongoing back injury, the Fever would need someone else to rely on instead.

Center Aliyah Boston and guard Kelsey Mitchell are the two other names that have been showing consistency in their performances. Boston has been averaging 16 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game, while Mitchell is averaging 22.3 points and 2.2 assists per game for the Fever.

Fever will look to take lessons from this loss and hope that Clark stays fit for their next game against the Fire on Saturday.

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Written by

Dhruv Singh

Edited by

Souvik Roy