NovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank Center:How many points did Caitlin Clark score last night? Not quite enough as Indiana Fever fell to 0-5

SEATTLE — A productive third quarter from Caitlin Clark wasn’t enough for the rookie and NovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank CenterIndiana, as the Fever dropped its fifth straight game, falling 85-83 to the Seattle Storm on the road Wednesday evening at Climate Pledge Arena. 

In front of a Storm-record 18,343 fans — a sellout, as usually happens when Clark is in the building — Clark scored 21 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished seven assists. 

Harassed all game by Seattle guards Skylar Diggins-Smith and Sami Whitcomb, Clark got going after halftime, scoring nine points in the third quarter (she had just five points at halftime). Her tough finish in the lane with 1:22 to play in the third gave the Fever its first lead since early in the first quarter and injected some excitement into an otherwise dull game. 

Clark scored 16 points in the final 15:11 of the game.

"It’s a process of learning when to be assertive, but it's hard when you start a little cold," Clark said afterward. "I think that’s when I’m at my best, when I’m aggressive and creating my own shot … the more I can play with pace, that’s when I’m successful."

With 10.3 seconds to play and Indiana trailing 84-83, the Fever had the ball out of bounds on the sideline and a shot to win the game. But a bad inbounds pass to Clark — it was thrown at her feet and she wound up in a scrum for the ball — negated any chance at a clean look. Indiana wound up losing the subsequent jump ball, and Seattle’s Nneka Ogwumike hit one of two free throws with 2.6 seconds to play to seal the win. 

Clark shot 6-of-16 from the field (37.5%), including 2-of-8 (25%) from 3. 

It was another frustrating loss for the Fever, but Clark played decently and, perhaps most importantly, took care of the ball, totaling just three turnovers (though the final one was given to her after Indiana lost the jump ball with 2.8 seconds to play, it was not her fault). 

“These two losses definitely hurt, we’re six points away from being 2-3 instead of 0-5, it’s that close,” Clark said. “But you have to find confidence in that, if you just get upset by it that’s not going to be too beneficial to us. You’ve gotta be positive. You’re never happy to lose but at the same time, there’s a lot of things to build on.”

Seattle guard Jewell Loyd was the game’s high scorer, finishing with 32 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.