Caitlin Clark's Shooting Heroics Not Enough Against Mystics: Fever Takeaways
Not even a surge of 3-point shots from Caitlin Clark, who played hero for the Indiana Fever with clutch makes just when they needed them most, would be enough to put the Fever over the top in a 104-102 overtime loss to the Washington Mystics on Friday.
Clark took point for Indiana with 32 points despite a slower shooting start that saw her hit two of her first 15 shots in the first three quarters. The trio of center Shakira Austin, forward Kiki Iriafen and guard Sonia Citron led the Mystics to their second win of the season as they slashed and battled their way to a combined 74 points.
Fought 'Til The Very End
Despite their best efforts, it seemed not even the late heroism from the Fever's go-to options could push past a lengthy cold spell in the second and third quarters.
While Kelsey Mitchell lit a few sparks on offense with the occasional highlight play, the Mystics always seemed to respond as they continued to look unstoppable in the paint. Aliyah Boston had her moments against Washington with a strong start in the first half, but would slow down with two misses in the third—before leaving the game with a lower leg injury.
Clark, who took command in Indiana's victory over the Los Angeles Sparks, seemed to lose that same spark in the loss to Washington as she entered the fourth quarter with a 13% clip from the floor. The Fever were limited to nine points in the second quarter, their worst regular-season performance in the quarter since a loss to the Golden State Valkyries in 2025, as they lost a double-digit lead well before the halftime horn.
Washington, who didn't feature a player over 25 in its starting lineup, battled back with 94 points from its starting five in the matchup. Iriafen didn't miss a single one of her six shots in the third quarter, including a splashed-home 3-pointer that put the Mystics up by double digits.
None of it seemed to matter when Clark hit a pull-up 3-pointer near the start of the fourth quarter.
Indiana would storm back into fighting contention as it finally found its footing behind a flurry of makes from close and long range. A back-and-forth battle would ultimately favor the Fever as they would pour on 11 buckets in the fourth with a number of big-time plays from their veteran options.
Clark would send it to overtime with another clutch 3-pointer, her fifth of the quarter, before serving as the engine of a Fever offense that seemed to have just enough gas in the tank until the end of the extra period.
CAITLIN CLARK TIES THE GAME FROM 3
— Clark Report (@CClarkReport) May 16, 2026
SHE. IS. HER. pic.twitter.com/tkT14ealtX
Still Trying to Put the Pieces Together
So close, yet so far away.
The Fever showed flashes of their offensive prowess after they entered the night with an average of just over 95 points per contest in their first two games, which put them a few points ahead of the Las Vegas Aces for second place in the WNBA.
Indiana's early barrage from 3-point land would set up the foundation for its highest outing of the young season from long range with a 40.5% clip. Indiana's 17 makes on 42 tries from the 3-point line put them far ahead of the average that put them on par with the Toronto Tempo, who the Mystics defeated in their first game of the regular season, at about ninth place in the league entering the game.
Monique Billings, who proved to be a missing piece for the Fever during her 2026 debut against the Sparks, served as the glue to the Fever's gameplan on offense with consistent shots and a strong start on the boards. The 9th-year veteran would end the night with 10 points and nine rebounds, despite some struggles finishing inside.
Still, any time it seemed the Fever had it all figured out, the Mystics would shift into another gear after staying on neutral with pickups in the paint.
Despite the Fever staying active on defense and grabbing four early steals, the Mystics still found ways to stay close behind with close-range strikes and six early rebounds. A 2nd-quarter comeback from Washington saw a pair of 3-point makes from their young starting guards, but the Mystics made their living in the paint.
Washington outpaced Indiana inside with 58 paint points to the Fever's 28, marking the second time the Fever have fallen behind in the paint battle this season despite entering the night with the 2nd-most paint points per contest in the WNBA.
The Fever will move on to a matchup against the Seattle Storm at 6 p.m. EDT on Sunday in Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The game will be broadcast on Peacock and NBCSN.
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Alex Sabri began contributing to Indiana Fever On SI in May 2026. He also covers Ohio and Detroit sports for On SI and the BIGPLAY Sports Network.The Purdue and Cleveland State graduate has over four years of journalism and sports media experience across collegiate and professional sports and local coverage.Though he specializes in covering professional hoops, his interests include the WNBA, NBA, NFL, Cleveland Guardians and college football and basketball.
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