Caitlin Clark Gets Candid on Officiating in Indiana Fever Loss

The Portland Fire fell to the Atlanta Dream 86-66 on Friday but rebounded strongly on Saturday night. The Fire beat the Indiana Fever 100-84 while limiting star guard Caitlin Clark to single-digit scoring. With the 16-point defeat, Indiana suffered its worst loss of the season.

The outcome stood in stark contrast to the May 20 game, when the Fever defeated the Fire 90-73. Clark had missed that matchup due to back stiffness that triggered a WNBA warning for late reporting.

The blowout marked the Fever's second straight road loss. It came after a 90-88 defeat to the Golden State Valkyries on Thursday.

On Saturday, Clark struggled to stay on the floor and never found an offensive rhythm. She picked up her third foul in the second quarter, which forced her to sit. She then committed her fourth and fifth fouls in the third quarter. The Fever star scored a season-low six points while shooting 1-for-7 from the field in 22 minutes of action.

After the game at the Moda Center, reporters asked Clark if stricter officiating rules affected how the team played defensively.

"Officiating wasn't our problem tonight," the 6-foot guard said candidly.

Indiana started with an 8-2 run, but Portland answered with a 27-7 surge, taking a 29-15 lead after the first quarter. Portland kept control in the second quarter and led 44-26 with four minutes left before halftime. The Fire took a 50-37 lead into the break and extended it to 25 points in the third quarter.

Portland's defensive scheme hampered Clark's effectiveness. The Fire targeted the Iowa native in isolation plays. Those drives generated points for Carla Leite and drew several fouls on Clark. This strategy also caused the Fever to miss several defensive rotations.

Megan Gustafson led the Fire with 22 points, followed by Leite, who had 18 points. Clark admitted the team struggled to react to Portland's aggressive style but praised its execution and fast pace.

"Yeah, rotations were a little bit slow," the Fever star said. "And everything, in every coverage that we really tried, and when we switched, they did a great job exploiting it. They played with great energy. So you got to give Portland credit. I thought they were really good. They were aggressive."

Clark also said the Fire's efficient shooting created a tough matchup.

"Obviously, they shot the ball well, almost 40% from three, 50% from the field," she added. "Like, you know, it's a recipe for success. And, you know, we just got to be a little bit more disruptive on everything that we're doing."

With the loss, the Fever fell to 4-4 this season. The team returns home to face Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream on Thursday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Related: Stephanie White Addresses Benching Indiana Fever Veteran

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This story was originally published May 31, 2026 at 5:20 PM.