"Got Punched In The Mouth": Caitlin Clark Drops Honest Reaction To Fever Failure Ahead Of Playoff Battle

Caitlin Clark failed to save Indiana Fever against the Minnesota Lynx. The Indiana Fever guard shot just 1 of 12 from the field, missed every three she put up, and finished with a career-low two points as the Minnesota Lynx closed out the regular season with an 86-66 blowout on Thursday night. It was a rough way to end the year, but Clark made it clear afterward that Thursday's meltdown carries zero weight once the playoffs start.

The loss dropped Indiana to a 28-15 finish and sent Clark and her teammates into the postseason. Minnesota led by 30 at halftime, forcing Indiana's staff to pull the starters early and save them for games that actually count. Regardless, Clark handled the moment once reporters found her, and her answer set the tone for a Fever team hoping to make noise starting this weekend against the defending champion Las Vegas Aces.

Caitlin Clark Opens Up On Fever's Tough Setback Before Playoff Push

Caitlin Clark didn't sugarcoat the performance when she met with reporters after the game, but she also wasn't going to let one bad night follow her into October. Speaking with ESPN's Kareem Copeland, the Iowa product explained why Thursday's result already belongs in the past.

"At this point, everybody's record is 0-0," Clark said. "We're going into the playoffs. If we sit and sulk about what happened tonight, yeah, it sucks. It is what it is. We kind of came out and got punched in the mouth. We didn't make shots, obviously."

She went on to add about her excitement heading into the playoffs.

"I'm excited. If you can't get up for the playoffs, then you probably shouldn't be on this team. That's the great thing. You look at one through eight in this league right now, and it's anybody's to take. We have to have the mentality going into the playoffs of let's go steal the first one."

Caitlin Clark's Performance Against Minnesota Lynx

Numbers rarely tell the whole story, but Thursday's did. Clark finished with two points, four rebounds, three assists and a steal across 18 minutes, missing all seven of her three-point tries and going just 1 for 8 at halftime alone. 

Indiana now heads into the playoffs with a date against A'ja Wilson and the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, with the first round tipping off Sunday, September 27. Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell will need to bring far more punch than Clark managed on Thursday if the Fever want any shot at an upset.