Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark gave her honest assessment of their poor defense in Game 1 against the Las Vegas Aces.
On Sunday, the Fever opened their first-round playoff series against the defending champions in front of a hostile crowd at Michelob ULTRA Arena.
Indiana suffered a 102-85 defeat as they struggled against the Aces’ firepower, led by reigning MVP A’ja Wilson.
In her postgame interview, Clark offered a brutally honest assessment of her team’s defensive performance.
“An F,” Clark said bluntly.
Las Vegas shot 59.4% from the field and 47.4% from three. The Fever, meanwhile, shot 44.8% from the field and 38.7% from downtown.
Wilson led the way for Las Vegas, finishing with a game-high 38 points on 15-for-19 shooting, along with 16 rebounds, two assists, two steals and four blocks.
This lopsided result gives Las Vegas a 1-0 series lead, and Indiana is now on the brink of elimination.
Clark had a double-double of 15 points and 10 assists with three boards, but also committed six turnovers.
Aliyah Boston led Indiana in scoring with 18 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and one steal. However, the Fever’s leading scorer in the regular season, Kelsey Mitchell, had only 12 points on 4-for-16 from the field and 1-for-6 from three.
Other Fever players with double-digit scoring included Raven Johnson with 14 points and Sophie Cunningham with 13 points.
The series now heads to Indianapolis for Game 2, with the Fever hosting the Aces at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Tuesday. Indiana must win to keep its season alive.
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