Radio analyst hails Caitlin Clark amid "middle finger tour" post-Olympics snub 

Caitlin Clark has taken the WNBA by storm after the Olympic and All-Star break. The Indiana Fever star rookie was snubbed from Team USA in Paris, and something that may have fueled her to go on a rampage once the season resumed. Fox Sports radio host Jason Smith comes from the same school of thought.

During Friday's episode of "The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon," Smith hailed Clark for letting her basketball do the talking over verbally responding to her critics. He also labeled her recent stretch the 'middle finger tour,' citing the Olympics snub.

"She [Caitlin] has taken her play to the next level, we knew the 'Caitlin Clark middle finger tour' was going to begin right after the break for the Olympics, and it has.

"And all she has done is lift her team from the bottom of the standings to the middle of the standings and higher. She's become an MVP candidate and what she's doing is blowing away what we see rookies do in the WNBA when they come in and she's doing it by just pointing and saying, 'scoreboard.' ... That's all."

Caitlin Clark and the Fever's playoff prospects looked shaky entering the All-Star and Olympic break. They were seventh in the league with an 11-15 record after enduring a 1-8 start to the season.

However, Clark and Co. turned things around after the break, registering a 7-2 run as of Saturday. In that span, the Rookie of the Year favorite has averaged 24.6 points (third in the WNBA), 5.9 rebounds and 9.0 assists (league-high), shooting on 47/40/93 splits.

The Fever have stormed to an 18-17 record and cemented their playoff berth. They are sixth in the league and could enter the postseason in the same position.

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Caitlin Clark and Fever's five-game winning streak ends against Lynx

The Indiana Fever failed to get over the hump in their ultimate test against the Minnesota Lynx on Friday. The teams have been the best since the season resumed. They had the same record entering the contest.

However, the Lynx's experience saw them topple Indiana again after winning their last battle on Aug. 24, 90-80. Caitlin Clark and Co. lost Friday's game 99-88.

Both their losses have come against the Lynx since the season resumed. They could also meet in the first round of the playoffs if Minnesota finishes third while the Fever remains sixth.

Caitlin Clark's efforts kept the Fever afloat for most periods, except late in the fourth quarter, where a momentum-swinging turnover by the former Iowa star potentially cost the Fever the game. With 5:13 left on the clock and Indiana trailing 81-77, Clark turned the ball over. A potential field goal on that play could have put pressure on Minnesota, but that wasn't the case.

Nevertheless, Clark was outstanding for most of the contest and the most Indiana's most consistent player. She tallied a team-high 25 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, shooting 5 of 10 from 3.