Caitlin Clark shooting slump sparks requests for 'patience' from Fever coach Stephanie White
Pinpointing what is going wrong with Clark at the offensive end of the floor

Mired in one of the worst shooting slumps of her career, Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark managed a season-high 13 assists during Sunday's 102-83 win over Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings. Clark's display of passing precision overshadowed another dismal night from the floor for the former No. 1 pick, who shot 4 for 12, her sixth consecutive start with a field goal success rate of 35% or lower.
Fever coach Stephanie White expressed no reason to press the panic button for Clark, who averages 16.7 points per game and has not scored more than 14 points in the three games since her injury return.
"I just want her to have a little bit of patience, to give herself a little bit of grace, and to still do the other things that she does so well in the game that affect winning," White said, via the Indianapolis Star. "Because yes, she's an elite shooter. Yes, that's what everybody wants to see. But she makes other winning plays, and she can control those things, and control the things that you can control, continue to work through the rhythm, the timing, the strength, the endurance, and it's going to come."
The good news for Clark and the Fever's offense? Indiana found its rhythm with consecutive, high-scoring wins since a 19-point loss to Golden State Valkyries last week led to Clark harping on execution and scouting report issues.
"The offense, I think for us, it starts on defense, and we struggled scouting report wise, we struggled personnel. We struggled to do what the coaches asked of us," Clark said after one of her team's worst showings of the season.
Indiana moved to 11-10 overall, third in the Eastern Conference despite Clark's offensive inconsistencies. The reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year, as White noted, is getting her teammates involved while she finds her stroke and that's a positive development for the Fever.
Four players scored in double figures against the Wings beyond Clark's total, including guard Kelsey Mitchell. The Fever's leading scorer this season, Mitchell poured in 20 points last time out and appears confidence on the wing with Clark running the show as point guard of sorts.
Clark missed three weeks earlier this season with a left quad strain and recently missed another two weeks — and multiple games — with a left groin strain. After Clark went 5-of-17 in Friday's win over the Atlanta Dream, White once again dismissed any long-term worries and simply stressed her superstar needing to look for better, more clean opportunities.
"She's recovering from injury, she plays heavy, hard minutes," White said last week. "Every defensive assignment, every defensive scout, she's the top of the scouting report. Her shot quality that she's getting has not been great."
















