It was supposed to be a battle between two MVPs for one spotlight. Neither shone bright. But A’ja Wilson did just enough to tip the scale her way. The Aces managed to stay undefeated against the Fever. And a lot of the blame fell on Caitlin Clark. But Stephanie White wasn’t going to let Indy’s very own Taylor Swift 2.O take it all on her. She chose to stick by the same words she once said in a Q&A with The Athletic. “So I think from my perspective, and from our staff and franchise, it’s how do we help her navigate all of this?”
That’s Coach White’s sentiment going ahead with the 2024 #1 draft pick. Not even Clark’s own self-criticism in the postgame could sway it. “Especially in the fourth quarter, we didn’t do a good job of taking care of the ball — I didn’t — so I think it just starts with me and just getting better at that,” CC said in the postgame presser after their second consecutive loss. She was even more upset because, according to her, their loss against the Valkyries was different from the one against the aces. The mental lapses that saw them sink against Wilson’s squad weren’t screaming as much before.
You’d think that Stephanie White must be disappointed, but she wasn’t throwing her star under the bus. “I think the bigger thing is what we as a staff have to do to get her better looks, higher quality looks,” said Indiana Fever HC. She’s not focusing on Caitlin Clark’s missed 9 of 10 attempts from three-point range and 13 of 20 from the field. Rather, she’s calling the franchise to step up and work better as a squad.
Steph White on CC going 1-of-17 from 3 in the past two games: “I think the bigger thing is what we as a staff have to do to get her better looks, higher quality looks. … I’m not worried about Caitlin’s shot. Caitlin’s shot is going to be just fine.” pic.twitter.com/BWXvgKu6MF
— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) June 22, 2025
“I’m not worried about Caitlin’s shot. Caitlin’s shot is going to be just fine,” White made it clear. And she might just be right. I know you’re right there with us if you watched the first quarter closely. Also, we all know that it’s confidence that makes or breaks the athlete, and Clark is making sure she doesn’t go down the wrong path.
“Certainly it was a tough shooting night,” Clark said. “I got to find a way to continue to shoot and remain confident in myself because I know I’ve put the time in. I don’t feel like it’s anything that’s off necessarily, but yeah, it would’ve been nice if they went down.” So, she will be back as the proficient shooter she is, and till then, you can expect her to impact in other ways. After all, despite a rough start, shooting just 2-for-9 overall and 1-for-5 from deep in the first half, Clark racked up eight assists. Those included crisp setups for Boston, Turner, and Mitchell. She even managed to strip Chelsea Gray clean at 7:41 and later fed Natasha Howard for a go-ahead bucket.
It was clear that Caitlin Clark was trying to facilitate and make plays for her teammates. The execution around her was the issue. Let me list it out for you. At 9:03 in the first quarter, Caitlin Clark drove hard to the rim, only to get blocked by Jackie Young. There, no teammate rotated in or trailed to recover the ball. At 4:31, she even delivered a solid entry pass to Mitchell, but it was mishandled and quickly and turned into a steal for Vegas. The finishes just weren’t there, right off the bat. Do they need a miracle now?
When will DeWanna Bonner be back with high quality looks?
More than ten days into her unexpected absence, we are still waiting for some concrete answers. The 37-year-old vet, who came out swinging to start her first season in Indiana, has now sat out four straight games for personal reasons. And coach Stephanie White has been tight-lipped through it all. She has given just enough updates to respect Bonner’s privacy while keeping details under wraps.
After that hard-fought Liberty win, coach White kept it simple. “Give her the time that she needs,” she said, confirming that the organization has got Bonner’s back. “I think she’s doing as well as she can be right now..we’re going to continue to support her and give her the time that she needs. I don’t anticipate her being here (on June 14), and just with her right now, it’s supporting her and giving her what she needs.”
Fast forward seven days, and we saw the same holding pattern. After the Valkyries’ loss and heading into the Aces game, White got the inevitable Bonner questions again. “She’s doing well, she’s doing well,” White said. “Again, no timeline. I think it’s day-to-day, and for us to make sure that we’re continuing to be supportive of DB in her time away.” The Fever were sitting at .500, Bonner’s absence had started hurting and now they have fallen even further apart after losing to the Aces.
Now, with Damiris Dantas also leaving for national team duty soon, Indiana will be down to just 9 available players. They might need to look at a hardship contract soon. For now though? It’s a waiting game, with everyone hoping Bonner comes back when she’s good and ready.
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