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Caitlin Clark's new Indiana Fever teammate Natasha Howard drew heavy criticism from fans following an underwhelming performance in Tuesday’s heartbreaking 91-90 home loss. Comparisons quickly emerged between Howard and former Fever forward NaLyssa Smith, who was traded to the Dallas Wings in the offseason.
Clark delivered yet another record-breaking performance, tying the WNBA record for most games with 20 points and 10 assists, and surpassing Sabrina Ionescu’s mark for most games with 25 points and 10 assists. Her historic night, however, was overshadowed by the team’s inability to close out the game, as Indiana suffered a 91-90 loss to the Atlanta Dream.
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Fans directed their frustration at Howard, who is playing on a one-year, $214,466 contract. The veteran forward missed four crucial free throws in the fourth quarter and failed to convert the potential game-winning shot, leading many to blame her for spoiling Caitlin Clark's remarkable night.
"Welcome back NaLyssa Smith," a fan commented.
"Hate to say it, but Nalyssa played better some days," commented another fan.
"She sucked today but Lyssa would be a minus on defense," a fan said.
"this is so mean and so accurate. we can’t scape bruh," said another fan.
"Smith would’ve at least hit 1 free throw. Karmas a bitch ain’t it?" a fan said.
"Show me an lyss stat with that many rebounds," said another fan.
Caitlin Clark's imperious performance overshadowed by Fever veterans' struggles
Caitlin Clark caught fire in the fourth quarter, knocking down a pair of deep 3-pointers to pull the Fever within striking distance. Her sharp playmaking and effective two-woman game with Aliyah Boston helped Indiana take a one-point lead in the final minute. However, costly missed free throws ultimately derailed their chances of securing the win.
Boston missed a crucial free throw in the closing moments, while Howard went 0-for-4 from the line. As a result, Clark’s stellar 27-point, 11-rebound performance went unrewarded. Howard ended the night with just six points on 3-of-9 shooting and a 0-of-4 from the free-throw line.
Veteran forward DeWanna Bonner also had a rough outing. She was held scoreless in 16 minutes of play and finished with a team-worst minus-19 rating.
