Caitlin Clark had an absolutely legendary and record-breaking performance on Tuesday night, saving the Indiana Fever from elimination and forcing a Game 3 against the defending-champion Las Vegas Aces.
She also came very close to ruining her own performance and losing the game for the Fever.
It is difficult to make a statement big enough to cover how brilliant her offensive performance was in Game 2, especially in the first half. She exploded in the second quarter to erase a Las Vegas lead and pull the Fever back in front. Her first-half stat line essentially eclipsed all of her Game 1 production: 14 points, 11 assists, four rebounds.
In the second half, it was her shooting that unlocked, and she poured in another 13 points, including back-to-back 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to hold the Aces at arm's length as crunch time approached.
And then, Clark was suddenly out of the game.
Caitlin Clark almost ruined her brilliant game
For all that Clark couldn't be stopped on offense, she could not seem to stop anyone on defense. In her defense, defending the likes of Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young is far from an easy task. Even so, Clark -- not a noted defender on her best days -- had a particularly bad game on Tuesday night.
She consistently found herself out of position, which led both to allowing the Aces to get into the paint (Aliyah Boston cleaned much, but not all, of that penetration up) and to Clark fouling the Vegas guards. For all that Clark showed shock and awe to the referees on every call, they were not ticky-tack calls: Clark was out of position and got called for fouls that the refs have called all season long.
Clark picked up her fifth foul with 4:43 remaining in the game, and the Fever were up just eight points after Jackie Young took those free throws. Clark would hit a three, then spend 40 seconds of game time on the bench as head coach Stephanie White attempted to manage the situation and keep Clark from picking up her sixth foul.
Alas, Clark was not in the game another minute before she fouled A'ja Wilson and thus fouled herself out of the game. After Wilson hit both free throws, the Fever's lead was down to seven with 2:45 to go. Disaster loomed; the Aces were absolutely capable of drawing on their championship experience and collective chemistry and fighting back to take Game 2, especially with Clark on the bench for the rest of the battle.
And then something special happened. With Clark gone, the Fever did not continue their track meet of trying to outscore the Aces - they clamped down on defense. Boston was everywhere in the paint, rookie Raven Johnson was a menace on the perimeter alongside Sophie Cunningham, and the Aces would score only four points the rest of the way.
The Fever showed their mettle on Tuesday night, and they stepped up when Clark hit the bench. For all of her offensive brilliance, the Fever are a better defensive team without her. That tension is a difficult one that Indiana will need to manage moving forward, most especially in Game 3 on Thursday night.
For now, they survived and advanced. Caitlin Clark was incredible, and then she was not. Finding a way to keep the incredible and limit the defensive issues will be crucial for Clark and the Fever. But Tuesday night proved that they are together capable of the highest of heights.
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