The Indiana Fever hosted the defending champion New York Liberty in the second road game of the season for the defending champions. The Liberty came out with a 90-88 victory in a matchup that came right down to the wire. Caitlin Clark had a chance for a game-winning shot but was stripped by Natasha Cloud on the attempt. Whistles remained silent, causing frustration to the Fever fan base and Clark herself.
New York took the lead on a pair of free throws by Sabrina Ionescu with 2.9 seconds left to play. This call also caused some frustration with Fever guard Lexi Hull doing her best to remain vertical as Ionescu seemed to initiate the contact when attacking the basket.
It is worth noting that Fever head coach Stephanie White was unable to challenge the foul call because she did not have a full timeout. White possessed a reset timeout, which allowed the Fever to advance the ball for the final shot, but WNBA rules state it requires a full timeout to advance the ball.
Despite the loss, Clark finished with 18 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds. She became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach some historic statistical metrics and continues to etch her name in league history.
While the debate over the foul call will likely steal the storyline, Natasha Cloud deserves some immense credit for her defense on Clark. The Fever star was limited to just 6-for-19 shooting from the field and 2-for-12 from beyond the three-point arc. Cloud is a welcome addition to this Liberty team, providing some high-level point-of-attack defense. She finished this victory with 16 points, seven rebounds, six assists, five steals, and three blocks, setting the tone for the defending champions on the defensive side of the ball.
Jonquel Jones led the Liberty in scoring with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Ionescu added 23 points of her own, with Breanna Stewart finishing with 16 points and eight rebounds.
Aliyah Boston also had a strong performance for the Fever. The third-year talent finished with 27 points and 13 rebounds while Lexie Hull and Kelsey Mitchell added 15 points of their own.
Indiana drops to 2-2 on the season while the Liberty advance to 3-0 on the young campaign. This game held a playoff-like atmosphere with both teams expected to be in the mix at the season’s conclusion.
The Liberty are the favorites to win the championship again this year at +225 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. Indiana holds the second-best championship odds at +320.
