The Indiana Fever suffered the worst loss of their 2026 season when they were blown out 100-84 by the Portland Fire on Saturday. Fever coach Stephanie White pulled both Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston just three and a half minutes into the first quarter.
After the game, White explained her reasoning for these substitutions, which were followed by a 13-2 run that gave the Fire momentum.
“Well, AB is still in a minutes restriction, so that’s why she’s coming out, and that’s typically around the same time that we’ve taken Caitlin out before. We didn’t in Golden State because, quite honestly, we didn’t want Raven [Johnson] in that environment without another ball handler on the floor, but that’s been our typical substitution pattern.”
The Fire ended the first quarter with a 29-15 lead; despite the Fever’s efforts to cut into the deficit, Portland remained in control the rest of the way.
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The loss in Moda Center is the fourth in eight outings for the Fever, who have been dealing with injuries to both Boston and Clark. Indiana will now have four days to regroup before it takes on two teams above .500: the Atlanta Dream (5-2) and the New York Liberty (5-4).
Clip Shows Fever HC Having Heated Moment With Caitlin Clark During Clash With Portland Fire
During the Fever’s clash with the Fire on Saturday, one moment involving Stephanie White and Caitlin Clark got fans buzzing online.
In a clip from the game, the Fever head coach can be seen having an animated discussion with Clark, who sat right in front of her during a timeout. Clark raised her hands as if to demonstrate a point, after which White told Raven Johnson to sit in Clark’s seat.
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Clark then stood beside her and shook her head.
It could be chalked up to a moment of frustration for both coach and player, but heated discussions like these will eventually have to translate into more consistent wins for the Fever.
READ MORE: Caitlin Clark’s Struggles Get Called Out by Analyst As Valkyries Snatched Fever’s Winning Streak
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