Caitlin Clark's strong reaction after clutch loss to the Liberty where her mistake cost the Fever

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark made a few crucial mistakes down the stretch that led to the Fever’s 109-102 loss to the New York Liberty. After riding high on a five-game win streak and pushing for the No. 2 seed, two bad games have sent the Fever back down to No. 5, with just 2.5 games separating them from being as low as No. 8. Clark’s MVP push seems to have taken an irreversible hit after the loss to the Liberty, primarily due to her own late-game mistakes. Caitlin Clark reacted to costly back-to-back losses amid tight WNBA standings. The Fever came into tonight’s game after a close 91-85 loss to the Dallas Wings the previous night. Clark complained about the team’s schedule but maintained there were no excuses for the loss. She said, ‘I mean there’s no excuses. Like, you know, yeah, our schedule’s tough and I think we play more back-to-backs than just about anybody in the league, but you know, it is what it is... Everybody is tired, everybody is sore, who cares? You know, figure out a way to make yourself feel better and suit up and go play.’ Clark scored 21 points (9-18 FG), four rebounds, and seven assists, while Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever with 25 points and four assists. Aliyah Boston had 22 points and six assists, and Sophie Cunningham contributed 10 points off the bench. Breanna Stewart led the Liberty with 22 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists, with Leonie Fiebich adding 20 points and five rebounds. Clark’s costly late-game mistake in the clutch can’t be ignored. In the Fever’s final half-court possession with 40 seconds left and a three-point deficit, Clark drove to the rim for a weak layup, looking for contact and a foul call, which was not given. She fouled while part of a double-team, sending the Liberty to the line and making it a five-point game. Clark missed both free throws on the next possession, completely killing the Fever’s chances of a comeback. Clark is averaging 21.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 8.2 assists this season. The Fever have locked a playoff spot, but the standings battle is tight. The team likely can’t rest key starters like Clark and Kelsey Mitchell before the playoffs. Their recent losses have undone the positives of their winning streak before this rough back-to-back against the Wings and Liberty, but they still need to stay focused to protect their seeding.