Clark’s fourth-quarter surge fails to salvage win as Fever fall to Mystics

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark faced intense scrutiny from fans during a WNBA contest against the Washington Mystics, enduring heavy criticism on social media for a prolonged three-point shooting slump. Despite the backlash, Clark delivered a dominant fourth-quarter performance that helped the Fever tie the game and force overtime, though Washington ultimately secured a 104-102 victory.

Heading into Friday night’s match, Clark was shooting just 18.75 per cent from beyond the arc, having made three of 16 attempts in recent play. Her struggles extended over a nine-game stretch where she converted only 10 of 65 three-point attempts, a rate of 15.38 per cent. The poor form continued through the first three quarters of the game, with Clark making just two of ten three-point attempts and shooting 4-for-20 from the field overall.

As the misses mounted, reactions on social media platforms such as X intensified. Fans referenced the "Monstars" from the film Space Jam, claimed Clark "could not hit a three to save her life," and noted she had recorded more turnovers than field goals. One observer described her as "essentially a streak shooter" whose positive trends had disappeared, while others called for her to return to training.

Clark silenced the criticism in the fourth quarter, playing nine minutes to score 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting from three-point range. She also contributed two assists, one rebound, and one steal during the period. Her efforts helped the Fever erase a 14-point second-half deficit, tying the game and sending the contest to overtime.

The Fever were unable to hold the lead in the extra period, falling 104-102 to the Mystics. The team now turns its attention to their next scheduled game against the Seattle Storm on Sunday, where Clark will look to maintain the momentum generated in the fourth quarter.