New York Liberty won a signature victory over Indiana Hot on national television on Saturday. Liberty's defense clamped in the last few minutes during a very loud Gainbridge field game in Indianapolis, and as the game went on, Fever's Caitlin Clark got the ball and New York's Natasha Cloud poked the ball out of Clark's hand.
The loss prompted fever coach Stephanie White to complain about the inconsistency she saw during the presiding ceremony. She and Clark both believed that Yun had made a foul in the final game.
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"I thought she was fouled. I think what happened to us in the last few games," White said after the game. "If we were just Chuckin'3s, I might be able to understand it, but we're not. We're attacking the edge. Now, the disrespect of our team is incredible."
The last 10 seconds of the game cover up the first 39 minutes of the thriller. With 14 lead changes, Aria Boston (27 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists) starred in the fever, while Jokel Jones (26 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists) has so far won the best game of the season in the New York season. But the experience of freedom ended up winning because fever could not take advantage of multiple opportunities to win the game.
Defending champion New York Liberty was able to set Caitlin Clark's Indiana Fever apart in a fiercely competitive game on Saturday. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
(Andy Lyons by Getty Image)Before the holiday weekend ends, White faces bigger problems than the referee and a 2-2 record. The fever was announced Monday morning that Clark was under pressure from his left quadriceps, and the sharpshooter would miss at least two weeks.
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An injury to a star player has never been a good time, but it is probably the easiest timeline for Indiana. Fever heads to Baltimore to play the Mystic on Wednesday at CFG Bank Arena, then hosts the unbeatable Connecticut Sun at home on Friday. Next week, they hosted the Mystics and then headed to Chicago on June 7 to play the Sky that hasn't won the match at the United Center.
The fever front desk took positive moves during the offseason to strengthen the starting lineup and bench. Players like Boston, Kelsey Mitchell and Lexie Hull can step up their efforts during this time to ensure Clark’s injury doesn’t derail their season.
AP Player: Napheesa Collier
Napheea Collier has only four games this season, showing she is an early leader in MVP. She leads the league to score, averaging 29.5 points per game. Her score was helped by the efficiency behind the arc. Collier hit 53.8% from the 3-point line. In Friday's Bobcats victory over the Sunshine, Collier scored double-digit with 33 points and 11 rebounds, plus three blocks.
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Watched games
Minnesota Lynx on Mercury in Phoenix, Friday at 10 a.m. ET on Ions: Minnesota's mountain line has begun the season's heat, proving that their journey to the 2024 finals is not without fluorine. However, they cannot be ignored to face only the top teams. This week, they will face tougher testing, including a trip to Phoenix to face a mercury transformation.
Yahoo Sports' WNBA Power Poll
* Current record in brackets
1. New York Freedom (3-0)
2. MinnesotaLynx (4-0)
3. Seattle Storm (3-1)
4. Phoenix Mercury (3-1)
5. Indiana Hot (2-2)
6. Las Vegas ACE (2-2)
7. Atlanta Dream (3-2)
8. Jinzhou Martial God (2-1)
9. Los Angeles Sparks (2-3)
10. Washington Mystics (2-3)
11. Chicago Sky (0-3)
12. Dallas Wings (0-4)
13. Connecticut Suns (0-4)
WNBA Power Ranking (Amy Monks/Yahoo Sports Illustration)
AP WNBA Power Poll
*List in brackets last week
1. New York Freedom (1)
2. MinnesotaLynx (2)
3. Seattle Storm (8)
4. Phoenix Mercury (4)
5. Indiana Hot (3)
6. Las Vegas ACE (5)
7. Atlanta Dream (9)
8. Jinzhou Martial God (13)
9. Los Angeles Sparks (7)
10. Washington Mystics (6)
11. Dallas Wings (10)
12. Chicago Sky (11)
13. Connecticut Suns (12)