“Chelsea Gray Made Her Pay”: Dave Portnoy, Skip Bayless Put Caitlin Clark Fandom Aside After Clutch Mistakes in Loss

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Caitlin Clark, Dave Portnoy - Image © Imagn Images

Even Caitlin Clark’s biggest fans in the media didn’t hold back on criticizing the Indiana Fever superstar for her role in the team’s 86-84 overtime loss to the Las Vegas Aces on Thursday. Dave Portnoy and Skip Bayless were among the prominent supporters of Clark who didn’t hesitate to concede that she had a bad game.

“Caitlin Clark didnt play great tonight,” Portnoy wrote on X. “2 huge missed free throws down the stretch and a huge turnover at the end of OT. No excuses. She sucked. Thats the beauty of me. I always answer the bell good, bad or indifferent. Need more leaders taking accountability like I just did.”

“This awful home loss is on Caitlin,” Bayless said. “Missed both clinching free throws late in reg, then terrible turnover late in OT. Chelsea Gray made her pay both times with stunning clutch 3s – to tie at the buzzer then win it at the buzzer. Congrats to Chelsea/Aces, who were down 20.”

Clark finished the game with 20 points and eight assists, but also had eight turnovers. She shot a measly 7-for-20 from the field, including 2-for-10 from 3-point range. Despite the underwhelming efficiency, Clark could still have led the Fever to a win.

However, Clark faltered not once but twice in the clutch – first, to end the fourth quarter and then, at the end of overtime. Clark missed consecutive free throws at the end of the fourth when her team was leading by three. Subsequently, Chelsea Gray hit a game-tying shot at the buzzer, sending the game to overtime.

With seven seconds left in overtime and the Fever up by one, Clark had possession of the ball.


However, she lost the ball in a one-on-one situation with A’ja Wilson and failed to get back in transition. Gray made her pay for her mistake again, as the veteran guard hit the game-winner to lead the Aces to an 86-84 win.

Caitlin Clark takes accountability​

Caitlin Clark took accountability for the Indiana Fever’s loss on Thursday. In her first interaction during the postgame media availability session, Clark spoke about missing the free throws in regulation that could have helped the Fever win.

“Yeah, obviously, just can’t happen,” she said. “Those are free throws I usually make and certainly frustrating, you know. Obviously, one of them gives us a two-possession lead, and kind of cost my team there, for sure.”

Clark has struggled against championship favorites in consecutive games. Before Thursday’s outing against the Aces, Clark had 19 points on 44.4% shooting, including 2-for-9 from 3-point range, in a 108-100 loss to the Lynx on Sunday.

She will hope to bounce back after this rough stretch when the Fever face the Chicago Sky on Saturday.

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