The Indiana Fever lost their chance to take control of the playoff qualification race following a defeat against the Golden State Valkyries. This was their third loss against the expansion team and second without Caitlin Clark. The Valkyries HC Natalie Nakase, though, praised the injured rookie who missed 20+ games now in the season.
Out of action, Clark met with an NFL star, George Kittle, reunited with her Iowa teammates, and even clicked snaps with a few fans on the sidelines. Though the Fever guard was absent due to injury, the Valkyries HC had some good words for her.
Natalie Nakase Praises Caitlin Clark
The Golden State Valkyries strike again on Stephanie White’s team with a commanding 75-63 win at the Chase Center. The newest member of the league had been Indiana’s nemesis in the season, defeating them in all three meetings, with or without the 2024 Rookie of the Year winner.
However, CC’s absence was evident in the game, as the Fever players struggled on the offensive end. Their 63-point output was their third-lowest score in the 2025 season. Ironically, their second-lowest performance was also against the Valkyries (61 points), highlighting the Bay Area team’s strong defensive capabilities.
Before the game, HC Natalie Nakase spoke about their defensive plan for the Fever in their season’s final encounter and praised the former Iowa star.
“Obviously, without Caitlin, the scoring onus is put on everyone else a little bit more because she can shoot obviously from the logo. She has increased her game on so many levels, and obviously her passing has always been there,” Nakase said in the pre-game interview.
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However, she also highlighted the impact of Kelsey Mitchell in the absence of the star playmaker. KM 14 points in the game, while the former Valkyries guard Aerial Powers scored 17 points in the loss. HC Stephanie white slammed the shot clock malfunction in the game, but points out ‘the team’s lack of aggression’ as the reason for the loss.
The Indiana Fever Clear Caitlin Clrk’s Status Ahead Of Game Against Phoenix Mercury
The Fever needs to have their star playmaker back on the court more than ever now. Considering they could still possibly make it to the postseason, the player needs some match practice ahead of the knockout series. The franchise toughly declared that the 2024 rookie won’t be part of the game against the Phoenix Mercury on September 2.
Chloe Bibby will also miss the game, taking the total absentee count to five, including the Arri McDonald, Sophie Cunningham, and Sydney Colson. The Fever split the regular season series against the Mercury team, with CC missing both those encounters.
The team currently stands at the seventh position, following the Seattle Storm’s loss, and must win at least two games to qualify for the 2025 WNBA playoffs.