Caitlin Clark lit up the scoreboard with a season-high 30 points during the Indiana Fever’s 88-82 home defeat to the Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday night. However, head coach Christie Sides pinpointed several areas for Clark’s enhancement, notably her mid-range game and her frequent interactions with referees.
Coach Sides’ Call for Clark’s Growth
Clark received a technical foul late in the first quarter, seemingly due to a verbal altercation, prompting Sides to converse with her during the ensuing free throws.
Sides’ Constructive Criticism
Although Sides did not elaborate on the technical foul’s specifics, she emphasized the necessity for Clark to hone her mid-range shooting, especially before the Fever’s 78-73 victory against the Sparks on Friday.
“We’re spending too much time talking to the officials,” Sides remarked. “We’ve got to leave that alone. We’ve got to just play our game and let them do their job without putting it in their hands. We shouldn’t be getting technicals. Let me handle those.”
2024 Topps Bowman Iowa Caitlin Clark Card #49 Breaks All-Time NCAAW Scoring Record – Graded GEM Mint 10 BUY NOW
The Fever, currently holding a 1-7 record, played in front of a bustling Gainbridge Fieldhouse, with notable attendees including Indiana Pacers stars Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin, and Andrew Nembhard, along with NFL players Shaquille Leonard and Nick Cross.
Sides has been urging Clark, renowned for her extraordinary long-range three-pointers during her college days, to develop a more varied scoring repertoire. Pre-game shooting drills have been adjusted to emphasize long two-pointers, according to The Indy Star.