Caitlin Clark is already making her case for MVP without even stepping foot on the court, as the Indiana Fever lost 83-77 to the Washington Mystics on Wednesday night in their first game without her since drafting the All-Star point guard No. 1 overall in 2024.
Clark is out for at least two weeks because of a left quadriceps strain. She last played in the Fever’s 90-88 loss to the New York Liberty last Saturday, playing 38 minutes and finishing with 18 points, five rebounds, and 10 assists.
congratulations to DeWanna Bonner on reaching 7,500 career points!
she’s the first player in WNBA history to reach 7,500 points, 3,000 rebounds & 1,000 assists 🔥 pic.twitter.com/m5wfTlFDAX
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) May 29, 2025
Indiana fell to 2-3 for the season with Wednesday’s road loss against the Mystics (3-3), who hosted the first WNBA game in Baltimore at CFG Bank Arena. The Mystics have moved four games to other venues this season while D.C.’s Capital One Arena undergoes renovations.
Veteran point guard Sydney Colson started in place of Clark, finishing with four points, three assists, and three turnovers in 31 minutes. DeWanna Bonner had her best game offensively since joining the Fever this offseason with a team-high 21 points.
Bonner became the first WNBA player to reach 7,500 points, 3,000 rebounds, and 1,000 assists.
Fever Average 87.7 Points Per 100 Possessions Without Caitlin Clark
Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston, the team’s other two top scorers, also had subpar performances amid Clark’s absence, shooting only 4-for-16 (14 points) and 4-for-5 (10 points), respectively.
“I think this was a kind of gut punch for us,” Fever guard Sophie Cunningham said. “We’re going to come back tomorrow at practice with more focus, more energy. We know where we want to be at the end the season, but we’re not just going to get there.”
The Fever shot just 39.7% from the floor and 23.8% from 3-point range, both season-low marks, while finishing with more turnovers (16) than assists (15). They also had zero fast-break points.
Indiana averages 107.5 points per 100 possessions with Clark on the floor this season versus 87.7 points per 100 possessions with her off it, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
“We weren’t sharp enough to be a contender for anything tonight,” Mitchell added. “I think getting punched in the mouth early is humbling, because it shows where we need to be.”
Clark is on track to miss at least three more games, including Friday’s contest against the winless Connecticut Sun and Tuesday’s rematch against Washington in Indiana.
