Caitlin Clark Has Strong Words After Stephanie White's Indiana Fever Decision in Game 1 Loss

Caitlin Clark and Stephanie White react to Indiana Fever rookie Raven Johnson's performance in Game 1 against the Las Vegas Aces.

by Paolo Songco

Sep 27, 2026

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (left) and Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White (right).

Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images&semi; Grace Smith/IndyStar via Imagn Images

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever got humbled on Sunday, losing 102-85 to the Las Vegas Aces in Game 1 of their first-round playoff matchup.

Clark put up a 15-point, 10-assist double-double, but it wasn’t enough to carry the Fever to victory. Aliyah Boston scored a team-high 18 points, while Kelsey Mitchell struggled with 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting.

Indiana had no answer for A’ja Wilson, who tied a playoff career high with 38 points on 15-of-19 shooting. The reigning WNBA MVP also added 16 rebounds, two assists, two steals, four blocks and two triples in a dominant performance.

Fever head coach Stephanie White turned to rookie Raven Johnson in Game 1. Indiana lost backup guard Tyasha Harris to a season-ending leg injury in their final regular-season game, and White said before the playoffs that Johnson could help fill the void.

Johnson logged 22 minutes off the bench in her postseason debut. The two-time NCAA champion with the South Carolina Gamecocks finished with 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting, along with one assist, two steals and one three-pointer.

“I thought Raven did great,” White said postgame (2:06 mark). “I think she came in and she gave us the lift that we needed on both ends of the floor. I thought her energy was really good.”

Indiana Fever guard Raven Johnson (3).

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Clark also had strong words for the rookie. The newly crowned AP Comeback Player of the Year praised Johnson following White’s decision to give the 5-foot-8 guard significant playing time in her first WNBA playoff game.

“Yeah, Raven was fantastic,” Clark said. “Obviously, offensively she was great.

“But I thought her defensive intensity was really, really good, and that’s what we’re going to need. She’s somebody that puts in the work and somebody you can count on.

“So just happy for her to come in and play as well as she did.”

Clark and Co. now face a do-or-die situation in Game 2 on Tuesday. Their season will end if they lose again.

The Fever will host Game 2 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET.