Caitlin Clark Shot 3-for-12, and the Fever's Win Streak Is Already Dead

Man, what a gut punch for the Indiana Fever! You gotta feel for them after Thursday's game against Golden State. They had a sweet three-game winning streak going, looking good, and then BAM, the Valkyries shut it down with a tight 90-88 loss. The biggest story? Our girl Caitlin Clark had her roughest outing of the season, and it wasn't pretty. Her shot wasn't falling, and now the Fever have to figure out how to bounce back, especially with Portland, who's also reeling, up next. This next game is huge for both squads to get their momentum back on track after breaking their own win streaks.

Clark's Struggles and Boston's Battle

Let's be real, we've seen Caitlin Clark light up scoreboards all year, but Thursday was a different beast. She dropped a season-low 16 points, hitting only 3-for-12 from the field, another season-low in makes. Six assists? Also her fewest this year. The bright spot was a season-high three steals, but those late-game moments still sting. With just under four minutes left, she nailed a three-pointer, then Aliyah Boston hit a jumper to give them an 82-81 lead. But then, yikes, two turnovers on consecutive possessions in the final 92 seconds and a missed three-pointer with 40.9 seconds left that could have tied it at 87-87. Fever coach Stephanie White kept it real, saying Clark "gets guarded a certain way all the time, 94 feet, lots of physicality." She added, "You're not going to give her any easy looks. She had a lot of tough, contested shots. They are an excellent defensive team." It wasn't Clark, though. Aliyah Boston had 13 points, six rebounds, and four assists, but she got into foul trouble early, playing only 22 minutes total, with just 5:53 in the first half. You could hear her frustration, saying, "It's super hard to try to figure out and understand how the refs are calling it," and calling out the Valkyries for "selling it and the refs bought it." That kind of limited playing time for a star can absolutely kill a team's rhythm, especially in a close game.

Portland's Turnovers and Missed History

Across the court, the Portland Fire are probably still shaking their heads after Friday's 86-66 blowout loss to Atlanta, which snapped their own three-game winning streak. Twenty-eight turnovers? TWENTY-EIGHT? That's wild. Fire coach Alex Sarama didn't pull any punches, stating, "It's impossible to win a game with 28 turnovers." He pointed to "unforced errors" and players being in "different roles" for an expansion team. They were also outscored 27-13 in the fourth quarter. Ouch. Sarah Ashlee Barker put up 14 points off the bench, but they were missing forward Bridget Carleton due to back soreness. This loss also kept Portland from setting a new league record for the best start by an expansion team, a mark still held by the 1999 Minnesota Lynx, 1999 Orlando Miracle, and 1998 Detroit Shock, all of whom also started 5-4. You know that stings, denying them a piece of history right out of the gate.

What's Next for These Reeling Teams?

So, both the Fever and the Fire are limping into Saturday's rematch, desperately needing a win to turn things around. Clark missed their May 20 home victory over Portland with a back injury, but she's listed as probable for this one. Can she shake off that rough shooting night? Can the Fever find a way to get Boston involved without foul trouble? And can the Fire hold onto the ball for more than two seconds without turning it over? This isn't another game, folks. This is about pride, about shaking off bad losses, and about proving they can still compete early in the season. Let's see who shows up to fight!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.