Entering their first matchup of the season against the Las Vegas Aces, Caitlin Clark knew if she couldn’t score like she does, she would contribute to the team in the other ways she can. Her 5 assists in just 5 minutes into the game painted the picture for the night quite well. However, even though she may have returned from her left quad strain, playing on limited minutes, her game doesn’t exactly speak the way it used to. Sure, the reigning league ROTY ended the 89-81 losing cause in Michelob Ultra Arena with a double-double of 19 points and 10 assists, but only on 7-of-20 slow FGs and only 10% from beyond the arc. But somehow, the rage of the late flipped game wasn’t on the point guard but her veteran teammate– Brianna Turner.

The No. 11 forward entered the game early in the first quarter to help Fever match the height with the Aces and to give some competition to A’ja Wilson in the paint. While her defensive capabilities in the 6 minutes of floor time could not be seen, another aspect of her game caught attention, and not for a good reason– The pick and roll action with Clark. With 4:42 in the first quarter, she entered the game for Wilson’s usual match Aliyah Boston. After inbounding the ball from Clark at the sideline and then giving it back, Bri went into the paint, closely guarded by Chelsea Gray. However, Clark directed her to where she wanted the forward to be in order to set a rolling action. Although Turner did run towards that spot, with limited play time, she couldn’t understand how the point guard likes to play.

Clark, as usual, threw the ball to the spot where she wanted Turner to be at and not where she was– at least a foot away. As a result, Bri couldn’t pick the ball, and it turned into a bad pass turnover with Jackie Young stealing it away. And this was just one of multiple miscommunications that the two had in the night. Certainly, the game many thought would be Fever’s to win, with the Aces not in its best form so far into the season, turned into a complete nightmare for the Indiana fans with every bucket Vegas made and every turnover the Fever gave away. But the blame? The fans only call out Turner’s misses with this new fact making rounds:

“Caitlin has played 18 minutes without Turner on the floor today. She has 8 assists and 1 turnover. Caitlin has played 4 minutes with Turner today, she has 1 assist, 3 turnovers… 2 of them due to complete mess ups in the roll from Turner,” X user Mick tweeted mid-game.

The post went viral. Never mind that Clark finished with eight turnovers total—her second highest for her this season. The narrative shifted. Clark’s 19 points and 11 assists? Almost irrelevant. The microscope now hovered over Brianna Turner’s six-minute stint—and that was all it took.

So, how did that happen? Well, in the second half, the Fever unraveled. A’ja Wilson, who started cold, finished blazing with 24 points. The Fever’s team-wide 18 turnovers (eight from Clark, yes, but also four from bench players) became the gash Las Vegas exploited. The Aces went on a 9–2 run with the game tied 69–69 and never looked back.

Indiana shot 48.6% from the floor—better than Vegas. They rebounded better. They scored more points in the paint. But the free-throw gap (Vegas hit 19-of-21; Indiana was 7 of 9) and the points-off-turnover differential (28-16) off of 18-13 TOs told the real story.

While people are quick to blame Turner, the fact is that Clark and Turner didn’t practice much together, backing that they did not have the required chemistry. But the fans? They wished Turner stayed on the bench.

Fans question Brianna Turner’s playing minutes

Although this was the only tenth appearance for Turner, currently averaging only 3.7 minutes off the bench, Indiana fans did not like what they saw. One fan said, “Colson & Turner got way too much time and at the same time! White feels like she owes these players playing time! Fvck that, you owe them nothing! She does the same subs every game no matter how the game is going! She subs like Sides!”

Bri played a total of 6 minutes tonight and Syd for 15. Sure, they both got enough time, even together on the floor, it is important to see that both were substitutes for Boston and Clark, respectively. While the former HC Christie Sides often raised eyebrows in her second unit rotation, this time around Fever has more depth and White, coming off a successful time in Connecticut, certainly knows how she wants to utilize her players. Moreover, this was just one game. The defensive strengths both these new faces in Indy bring should not be ignored.

Still, another fan said, “Bri should be on the bench.” While another added, “Turner has no business ever being on the floor.” While it comes off harsh, this game was Fever’s to win. But how it turned upside down did hurt many fans, even if blaming it on Turner was a little unfair.

One fan said, “Think Turner needs more practice in real games, her passes are something to get used to. Turner looked nervous her first minute with the pass off.” That’s fair. Maybe it’s the nerves, and she definitely needs time to sync with Clark’s playmaking, something that everyone else took the entire last season to get used to and still are in awe of how she can make those unbelievable and unexpected passes.

Another fan said, “Bri simply needs to go.” Well, Aari McDonald was waived after her hardship contract with the Indiana Fever ended on June 13, 2025. So if they waive Bri, too, they’ll be short. The players who were injured are back, but not yet back in form. DeWanna Bonner is still out, and Damiris Dantas has EuroBasket duties. So it’s understandable that the Fever are still trying to find rhythm with their bench unit.

As the season moves on, we can expect the players to gel better and get used to Clark’s passes and basketball IQ. However, there’s no doubt that White needs to find answers to the flips and turnovers soon.