Caitlin Clark proved she can deliver under pressure. In a close game vs the Washington Mystics on Monday, with around 4 seconds to go, Fever needed two points to win. And it boiled down to Clark. Sophie Cunningham delivered a skip pass to the guard on the inbound play, narrowly avoiding a steal attempt by Cotie McMahon by mere millimeters. Clark then calmly knocked down the three-pointer for her first game-winner in the WNBA. But while her late-game heroics sent fans into a frenzy, the Fever star has shifted her focus to what matters.

“This is a hard league to play in, and you take a win in whatever way you can get it,” Clark said in a post-game conversation. “When we go down the line here, nobody’s going to look back and say, ‘The Fever probably should have lost this game but made a buzzer-beater’. No, it’s a W. It’s a win for us. We’re happy about that, but you go back, look at everything, find a way to improve, and certainly improve our defense the best we can.

“If we would have started the third quarter a little bit better, especially on the defensive end, it would have put us in a position to not have to make a late-game shot,” Clark said in her post-game interview. “Even though it was exciting for everybody in the arena, for you guys, and for everybody at home, I don’t always want to have to do that.”

The Fever led early by 17 points and controlled the game for the vast majority of the night. But by the third quarter, they struggled against the Mystics rallying 24-17. That momentum carried into the fourth and could have been yet another defeat for Indiana. But Clark was there to save the day.

CC finished with a game-high 19 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds while shooting 7-16 from the field and 4-10 from the three-point line. It was one the most perfect games for Clark since the Valkyries’ win on May 22. And her clutch shot garnered praise from Stephanie White as well. 

“This is what Caitlin does,” White said. “It’s easy to take it for granted and think everything looks effortless, but it takes a lot of work. Sometimes we take generational talent for granted. What she did was incredible for us and she’s going to have many more moments like that. I know she is.”

Clark leads the league in clutch threes this year and also has the most threes from 30+ feet. She is now averaging 18.7 points and 7.9 assists per game while shooting 38.3% from the field and 33.3% from the three-point line. 

Besides Clark, Aliyah Boston contributed an efficient 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting despite coming into the game questionable with a lower leg injury. Kelsey Mitchell had 15 points on 6-14 from the field. But this victory was largely because of Clark, as her stat puts this win in perspective. 

Caitlin Clark and Co. break unwanted trend as Stephanie White points toward Fever’s growth

The final seconds of this matchup had more to add to the story. Caitlin Clark missed two straight free throws that could have put the Fever ahead. Washington roared back on offense and it looked over. But Aliyah Boston came up with a clutch steal and Clark found Kelsey Mitchell before sealing the win.

“I think for all of us, we’re continuing to grow together. It was big for us the way we lifted one another up in those huddles,” Stephanie White said. “They were all talking positivity into one another, and that’s what it’s going to take to continue to build our connectedness.”

There is still plenty to clean up. The Fever were outrebounded 28-31 and conceded 21 points off 20 turnovers. They also gave away 26 fouls and 24 free throw attempts that kept Mystics in the game. Indiana became the first team this season to win in regulation despite 20+ turnovers and 20+ fouls. As analyst Tony East puts it: “They [Fever] did it with great first-half defense and, of course, Caitlin Clark’s heroics.”

Nevertheless, a win is a win. It could revitalize the team’s confidence and remind them of what they were last year. Once the playoffs arrive, regular-season experience like this will pay off. But for now, the Fever must look towards maintaining consistency as they try to string together.