Caitlin Clark’s playoff debut didn’t quite pan out as she had hoped as the Connecticut Sun thrashed the Indiana Fever 93-69. Clark and her team are now one loss away from elimination. The Fever guard couldn’t convert shots for most of the night and finished with a dismal 4-of-17 record shooting from the field, including 2-of-13 from beyond the arc.
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While fans were dismayed about her performance, former Los Angeles Sparks guard Lexie Brown wasn’t surprised. Brown pointed out that the Sun’s playbook is all about applying defensive pressure even at the expense of conceding some offensive advantage.
Per the former Sparks guard, Clark would certainly adjust in the next game. The 29-year-old thinks that even if she does some inefficient nights in the next games in the postseason, they won’t mirror the effort in her playoffs debut. Brown explained,
“Her [Clark] and Kelsey they shot 4 for 23 from the field. I don’t think that’s gonna happen. But Connecticut, well coached, defensive like crazy people. They take pride in that sh**. They don’t mind if they score 50 points, if you score less than 50, they happy with that.”
Brown said Clark often takes tough shots, which might affect her efficiency. But she will improve.
The Sparks guard lauded Sun’s tight defense and appreciated Wing DeWanna Bonner’s lockdown maneuvers as her length was decisive in keeping CC at bay.
“They started length on Caitlin and DB [Bonner] is one of the few players at that position that is capable of doing that at that size,” she added.
Other members of the Gil’s Arena crew reacted to Clark’s underwhelming playoff debut as well and shared their expectations from her in the next game.
Former Minnesota Timberwolves guard Rashad McCants wasn’t surprised by Clark’s struggles because the Sun is the best defensive team in the league. They were #1 in the league in both defensive rating (96.4) and least points allowed per game (73.6) this season.
Connecticut has bothered Clark all season long. Despite making major adjustments against them, CC hasn’t found an answer yet.
Will Caitlin Clark bounce back?
Like Brown, ESPN analyst Monica McNutt hailed Sun’s defense against CC. However, she believes Clark will bounce back in her usual fashion.
She highlighted how the guard usually follows a low-score game with a big night. Thus, we can expect something similar from her during Game 2. McNutt said,
“Stephanie White [Sun’s Head Coach] and those guys cooked up a scheme that was designed to cut the Fever off at their head and their head is Caitlin Clark. Now Caitlin has a track record of when she has low scoring games, which we haven’t seen many of, she bounces back with plus 25 point performance”
Clark has been in exceptional form since August, scoring in the 18+ points range more often than not. However, an experienced team like the Sun is known for shutting down the opposing team’s best offensive player.
Therefore, Caitlin Clark will need a humungous effort in Game 2 to save Fever’s season.
