Caitlin Clark Critique Comes at Strange Time During Fever-Mercury Postgame Show

The Indiana Fever's defensive struggles continue to be a topic of conversation.

Jun 24, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) dribbles the ball while Phoenix Mercury guard Lexi Held (10) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Indiana Fever dropped their eighth game of the season to the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday night, losing by a tight score of 111-109.

Even more concerning news was the injury to Caitlin Clark, who departed late in the third quarter with a back issue. The Fever's high-powered offense that was led by Clark's 19-points and 8 assists before departing stalled in her absence.

Eventually, the wheels fell off entirely for the Fever, who simply couldn't get critical defensive stops.

There are many contributing factors that could be influencing their defensive woes: defensive schemes, matchups, fatigue, etc., but during the post-game show on the USA Network, Amy Audibert had a critique of the Fever, and it came with mentioning Clark.

"Let's not get it twisted. Caitlin's known more for her offense than her defense. If you're Indiana and your problem is defense right now, it's tough not to have Caitlin in the game but this team has shown they can win without her, they still have to better defensively. That's the bottom line," Audibert said.

"Let's not get it twisted. Caitlin's known more for her offense than her defense... They still have to be better defensively."

Amy Audibert on the Fever needing to improve defensively, after giving up 29 PTS to the Mercury in the first quarter. pic.twitter.com/WeMATkJXwg

— USA Sports (@usasports) June 25, 2026

To be clear, the substance of the comment was not entirely wrong, but the blunt delivery in regards to Clark's shortcomings on the defensive end didn't land great given she left the game injured, and was also on the receiving end of several plays coach Stephanie White dubbed "cheap shots" by the Mercury. One of which led to a one-game suspension for Alyssa Thomas.

Considering the context of the game, Clark's injury, and the team so obviously missing her in action, it didn't feel like the best time to use her as the example to make the point.

The comments didn't sit well with fans, with the clip drawing backlash on social media.

The Fever's Defensive Troubles Are a Team Issue

With that said, the critique of Indiana's defense stands, but it's a team and not Clark specific issue. The Fever have routinely surrendered double-digit leads this season, which is in part due to their struggles to get stops.

To make matters worse, the Fever found themselves on the wrong side of WNBA history again after setting a record for the most losses in a season when scoring 100-plus points. The Fever have now lost four such contests. In games where they've given up more than 100-plus points to opponents, the Fever are now 1-6.

The Fever have set a new WNBA record for most losses in a season when scoring 100+ points.

Four of their eight losses this season have come despite them scoring over 100 points. pic.twitter.com/a8yz5ojdwY

— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) June 25, 2026

This is an issue that must be addressed in order for Indiana to meet the contender expectations that were set for them before the season.

The realistic formula for the Fever is probably to be an offensive juggernaut as an identity, but they are going to need to be at least serviceable on the other end to stockpile wins.