Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever proved no match to the Connecticut Sun on Sunday in Game 1 of their opening-round playoff series. The Sun showed why they were the No. 3 seed in this matchup as they made easy work of the sixth-seeded Fever, 93-69.



 

After the game, Clark was asked if she felt that playing on the road was the reason why Indiana lost so badly. The 22-year-old herself stated before the game that she felt that the Fever did not have the best games whenever they played in the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

However, when asked after the loss if she felt that this was a pivotal factor in Sunday’s loss, the Fever rookie sensation had a defiant response.

We had our chances,” she said. “Like I said, we didn’t play well. We didn’t play to the level that we’re capable of playing. … But we can win. It’s not anything about the building, it’s not about the gym, it’s not about the hoops. I have all the confidence in the world in this team and everybody in our locker room does, and I know it will be a lot better on Wednesday.”

For her part, Clark shot poorly in her playoff debut. She finished with 11 points on 4-of-17 shooting, including 2-of-13 from beyond the arc. The newly-crowned AP Rookie of the Year did add four rebounds, eight assists, three steals and a block to make up for her horrendous shooting, but as she said, it was far from enough.



Despite the nature of the blowout, Clark remains adamant that the Fever are capable of winning in Connecticut. They have no other choice but to do so in Wednesday’s do-or-die showdown. A loss means the end of the road for Indiana, while a win will force a winner-take-all Game 3 clash at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.