‘Caitlin (Clark) Sold That Game,’ ‘She Was a Liability’ — WNBA World Rips Fever Star for ‘Choking at the Line’ Late vs. Aces
· Yahoo Sports
Caitlin Clark endured one of her toughest finishes of the season Thursday as the Indiana Fever squandered a 20-point lead in an 86-84 overtime home loss to the Las Vegas Aces.
Clark, one of the WNBA’s most reliable free-throw shooters, missed two critical attempts in the closing seconds of regulation, then committed a costly turnover in overtime that helped Las Vegas complete its dramatic comeback.
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The disappointing finish quickly ignited reactions across the WNBA world.
WNBA Community Blasts Caitlin Clark Following Costly Misses in Fever’s OT Loss to Aces
With the Fever leading 75-72 with just 10.9 seconds remaining in regulation, Kelsey Mitchell split a pair of free throws. Indiana secured the offensive rebound after the miss, forcing Chelsea Gray to foul Clark.
Clark, an 87.9% career free-throw shooter entering the night, surprisingly missed both attempts.
A’ja Wilson grabbed the rebound and immediately called a timeout, giving Las Vegas one last chance.
Gray capitalized, knocking down a 26-foot jumper off a nifty pass from Jackie Young to force overtime.
The Aces completed the turnaround in the extra period.
After Mitchell’s layup put Indiana ahead 84-83, Young missed a potential go-ahead 3-pointer. The Fever appeared poised to escape until Clark threw an errant pass that Wilson intercepted. Moments later, Gray buried another 26-footer to drag Las Vegas to the finish line.
Clark’s late-game mistakes drew immediate criticism on social media.
“This is why you need to watch the games instead of listening to media-generated narratives. … She was a liability,” an X user tweeted.
“Clark turnovers caused Aces to come back from being down 20. Clark missed both free throws, sending the game to overtime. Clark turnover caused game winner by Aces/ Gray. She is just not her,” a sports data analyst added.
“CAITLIN CLARK CHOKED AT THE LINE,” BrickCenter posted.
“I’ve always said you could trust Caitlin Clark on defense more than you could at the free-throw line in the fourth quarter,” The Ringer’s Seerat Sohi remarked.
“Caitlin Clark bricked 2 free throws when it mattered the most,” one X user reacted.
“Caitlin sold that game many times over, trying to throw a pass over A’ja is straight up silly,” another chimed in.
The collapse was about more than Clark’s missed free throws.
Indiana looked firmly in control after Clark and Mitchell fueled a 42-22 advantage with four minutes remaining in the second quarter. Las Vegas answered with a stunning 22-0 run that flipped the game and gave the Aces a 44-42 lead early in the third quarter.
During that stretch, Clark committed 3 turnovers and missed all 3 of her attempts from beyond the arc.
She recovered by drilling two clutch 3-pointers later in the game, but the Fever ultimately fell short.
Instead of celebrating what could have been one of Indiana’s biggest wins of the season, Clark and the Fever were left to answer for a collapse that turned a commanding lead into one of the most painful losses of their 2026 campaign.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.