Caitlin Clark Drops Honest Quotes on Fever's Loss to Mystics and 'Confidence' for WNBA Playoff Run

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark thought her team was "sloppy in everything we tried to execute" in Sunday's 93-77 loss to the Washington Mystics.

The three-time All-Star also candidly described the Fever's defense as "pitiful" in her postgame press conference.

Clark credited the Mystics with playing "really beautiful basketball" offensively thanks to their movement on and off the ball.

Only one game separates the fifth-place Fever from Washington in seventh place. The teams could cross paths in the playoffs, and Clark acknowledged Sunday's outcome may not have "boosted our confidence."

"But at the same time, it's never as bad as it seems and it's never as good as it seems," she said. "We shot the ball probably as poorly as we've shot it all year long. Sometimes that's just how the game of basketball goes."

Indiana was undone by a slow start. The Mystics led 34-19 after the first quarter, and that provided them with enough cushion the rest of the way.

Forward Kiki Iriafen (21 points and 14 rebounds) and center Shakira Austin (20 points and 10 rebounds) both had double-doubles, while guard Sonia Citron was one assist away from joining them in that regard.

Clark and Kelsey Mitchell combined for 47 points but shot a combined 6-of-20 from beyond the arc. Clark also had as many turnovers as assists (five). It was just one of those days for Indy.

The Fever close out the regular season with two games against the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx, who snapped a three-game losing skid Sunday.

You'd prefer to avoid matchups that difficult because one or two losses could cause Indiana to fall in the standings. Two games are all that separate the Atlanta Dream in fourth from the Dallas Wings in eighth.

On the other hand, notching a win or even getting two straight over the Lynx could do wonders toward sending the Fever into the playoffs on a high note.