Caitlin Clark’s Aces Track Record Comes With Major Caveat Ahead of Playoffs
The Indiana Fever are facing the Las Vegas Aces in the first round of the WNBA playoffs, with the series' first game tipping off on Sunday.
It's no secret that the Fever's success against Las Vegas will hinge on star guard Caitlin Clark, as Clark orchestrates Indiana's offense and dictates the team's rhythm.
And when one looks at Clark's numbers against the Aces this season, it doesn't appear to bode well for Indiana—at least not on the surface.
Clark averaged 16 points, 7.0 assists, and 6 turnovers per game while shooting 38.7% from the field and 20.0% from three-point range against Las Vegas this season.
Every one of those stats are below Clark's season averages aside from turnovers, which is 1.4 turnover per game higher than her season average of 4.6.
However, context is required when assessing how Clark actually fared against the Aces.
Why Caitlin Clark's Stats vs. Aces Isn't the Entire Story
Put simply, Clark's stats against Las Vegas aren't indicative of how she actually performs against Becky Hammon's squad because the sample size is too small.
Indiana and Las Vegas met three times this season. Clark didn't play in one of those games and was on a minutes restriction in the other, as she was working her way back from a back issue.
Clark, who averaged 31.1 minutes per game this season, played 24 minutes in that July 12 game (which the Fever won 109-75), contributing 12 points, seven rebounds, six assists, along with four turnovers.
The only game against Las Vegas where Clark's minutes were unrestricted was on August 6. And this contest saw arguably the most noteworthy struggles of No. 22's entire season.
Her 20 points and eight assists look decent enough, but her eight turnovers in that game were the most she tallied in a single game all season. One of those turnovers was particularly costly at the end of overtime, contributing to a 86-84 loss. This was the one game where Las Vegas beat Indiana all season.
Clark also missed two free throws at the end of regulation that, if she had made them, would have cemented a Fever victory.
One could argue that the Aces deserve credit for causing this poor outing from Clark. But those who remember the game know her struggles were more self-inflicted than anything else.
The bottom line is that this was just one rough game, and is why one can't take Clark's mediocre stats against the Aces this season to heart.
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Grant Young covers women’s basketball for Women’s Fastbreak and Indiana Fever On SI. His coverage centers on league trends and the growth of women’s basketball, both on and off the court. He also creates digital content focused on the sport’s biggest moments and personalities.
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