Earlier this month, Caitlin Clark drew criticism from fans and media after she missed two free throws that would have essentially clinched the game for her team in a game the Indiana Fever ultimately lost in overtime. Now, Clark is facing criticism for her late-game performance yet again.
During Saturday night's game against the New York Liberty, Clark had the ball in her hands with a chance to tie the game in the final minute of regulation, but she made some puzzling choices that ultimately resulted in a loss for the Fever.
Late in Saturday's game against the Liberty, Clark had the ball with just under 50 seconds remaining on the clock with the Fever trailing by a score of 103-100. Instead of going for a three-point shot to potentially tie the game or working the ball for a high-percentage shot, Clark drove toward the basket and flailed to try to draw a foul, but it wasn't given.
Instead of getting back on defense quickly and trying to keep it a one-score game, Clark was slow to get up as she expressed her frustration with the referees. When she did eventually get back on defense, she immediately fouled Liberty guard Pauline Astier unnecessarily, eliciting visible frustration from teammate Kelsey Mitchell, who led the team with 25 points and extended her WNBA record of 22 consecutive games with at least 20 points.
Things got even worse for Clark on the next offensive possession. Clark went to the free-throw line with 24 seconds left with a chance to cut it to a one-possession game. However, just like the previous crunch time situation, Clark missed both free throws to essentially seal the loss.
#free #ball #late #missed
During Saturday night's game against the New York Liberty, Clark had the ball in her hands with a chance to tie the game in the final minute of regulation, but she made some puzzling choices that ultimately resulted in a loss for the Fever.
Late in Saturday's game against the Liberty, Clark had the ball with just under 50 seconds remaining on the clock with the Fever trailing by a score of 103-100. Instead of going for a three-point shot to potentially tie the game or working the ball for a high-percentage shot, Clark drove toward the basket and flailed to try to draw a foul, but it wasn't given.
Instead of getting back on defense quickly and trying to keep it a one-score game, Clark was slow to get up as she expressed her frustration with the referees. When she did eventually get back on defense, she immediately fouled Liberty guard Pauline Astier unnecessarily, eliciting visible frustration from teammate Kelsey Mitchell, who led the team with 25 points and extended her WNBA record of 22 consecutive games with at least 20 points.
Things got even worse for Clark on the next offensive possession. Clark went to the free-throw line with 24 seconds left with a chance to cut it to a one-possession game. However, just like the previous crunch time situation, Clark missed both free throws to essentially seal the loss.
#free #ball #late #missed
2 months ago
