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Caitlin Clark has been on a rough shooting slump in the last three game, shooting a combined 1-of-23 from the 3-point line, which resulted in one win and two losses for the Indiana Fever. In the previous game against the Seattle Storm, Clark had to lean on teammates Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell to steer the Fever to a 94-86 win on Tuesday.
With Clark’s struggles and the Fever’s uncharacteristic reliance on Boston and Mitchell against the Storm, Michael Jordan's ex-teammate Etan Thomas demanded respect for other players other than Clark.
Writing a lengthy statement on Instagram, Thomas believed other players, especially, deserved as much credit as Clark whenever they put up impressive numbers.
“Don’t get me wrong, Caitlin Clark is an amazing player, but yes there are other players in the WNBA and she is not the only one who can play and deserves credit. She is having a slump right now, which all players have and go through,” he wrote.
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“But be just as loud about other players like @aliyah.boston and @kelz_hoop who combined for 57 points to make up for Caitlin Clark’s shooting struggles in a win over the Seattle Storm. It’s ok to give credit where credit is due,” Thomas added.
Against the Storm, Boston recorded a career-high 31 points, four assists and eight rebounds, while Mitchell had 26 points, four assists and four rebounds to carry the weight off the struggling Clark, who only recorded six points and nine rebounds.
The 2023 top pick Boston has long been regarded as the Fever’s second star, behind Clark, while Mitchell is among the veterans seen to boost the team’s experience whenever they are faced with struggles this year.
The win also snapped the Fever’s two-game slide, predicated on Clark’s shooting woes. After a roller coaster start to their season, Indiana is eighth with a 7-7 record.
Fever coach lauds team’s awareness to give the ball to the hot hand amid Caitlin Clark's struggles
For the entire game against the Storm, it was apparent that Clark’s shooting struggles would continue, so the team turned to Aliyah Boston to save their day.
After the game, Stephanie White lauded the Fever for recognizing who had the hot hand en route the win.
“We were getting her the ball in a timely manner. So much of AB's efficiency is about us getting her the ball on time and on target," she said.
The Fever will look to ignite another winning run as they face the LA Sparks next, hoping that Caitlin Clark returns to her old shooting self soon.
