CLARK GIVES FEVER DEFENCE AN "F" AFTER GAME 1 LOSS TO ACES

Caitlin Clark said the Indiana Fever's defence deserved "an F" after the Las Vegas Aces beat them 102-85 in Game 1 of the WNBA playoffs' First Round, according to comments given to Indiana Fever's YouTube channel. A'ja Wilson scored 38 points on 15-for-19 shooting, grabbed 16 rebounds, took two steals and blocked four shots as the Aces shot over 59% from the field and 47% from three-point range. Clark and fellow guard Kelsey Mitchell combined for just 27 points on 10-for-33 shooting and committed nine turnovers between them, which the Aces converted into 28 points from 16 Fever giveaways overall. Clark said the Fever's offensive sets were also below standard, describing the team's actions as "sloppy" and saying no player managed to get an easier open look.

Centre Aliyah Boston was the Fever's leading performer with 18 points and eight rebounds, having played through a lower-leg injury that had forced her out of the team's final regular-season game against the Minnesota Lynx. Before the game, Clark and Mitchell were named to the All-AP First Team alongside Wilson, Lynx guard Olivia Miles and New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart. Fever head coach Stephanie White said the Aces, as defending champions, understood how to perform at the moment required, crediting Las Vegas rather than solely blaming her own side's display.

The result puts the Fever in a hole in their playoff series against the Aces, a rematch of a previous season's postseason meeting between the two teams. Clark had said beforehand that she recognised an urgency heading into the contest, according to comments reported separately. Neither the Fever nor the Aces has confirmed further scheduling details for the remainder of the series in the material reviewed. Both Clark and White indicated the team would need to address its defensive and offensive execution before the next fixture.