New York Liberty Defeat Indiana Fever 90-88 Amid Controversial Final Call

The Indiana Fever narrowly lost to the defending champion New York Liberty 90-88 in a closely contested game marked by late-game controversy over officiating. Caitlin Clark scored 18 points but struggled from three-point range, shooting 2-of-11, and was notably stripped of the ball by Liberty's Natasha Cloud on a potential game-winning shot in the final seconds, with no foul called. Fever head coach Stephanie White criticized the officiating, highlighting a significant free throw discrepancy and expressing frustration over missed calls, particularly a non-call on a foul against DeWanna Bonner and a questionable foul called on Fever's Lexie Hull that led to the Liberty's winning free throws. The Fever held a late lead but were overtaken by a strong fourth quarter performance from Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu, who made the decisive free throws. White emphasized the need for consistency in officiating rather than changes to the system, while Clark acknowledged the team could learn from their narrow losses. Despite the defeat, the Fever have started the season 2-2 and are recognized as one of the league's top offensive teams.