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Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever appeared to have the Las Vegas Aces beaten Thursday night. Indiana built a 20-point advantage and still led by three points with seven seconds remaining in regulation. Instead of closing out an important home victory, however, the Fever watched Chelsea Gray produce two stunning buzzer-beaters in an 86-84 overtime loss.
Clark finished with 20 points and eight assists, but her productive night was overshadowed by two costly mistakes in the closing seconds. Those miscues prompted longtime sports commentator Skip Bayless, who has regularly supported Clark, to place the blame for the loss directly on the Fever star.
“This awful home loss is on Caitlin,” Bayless wrote on X. “Missed both clinching free throws late in reg, then terrible turnover late in OT. Chelsea Gray made her pay both times with stunning clutch 3s, to tie at the buzzer then win it at the buzzer. Congrats to Chelsea/Aces, who were down 20.”
Caitlin Clark misses chance to seal Fever victory
The Fever held a 75-72 lead when Clark went to the free-throw line with seven seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Making either attempt would have forced Las Vegas to score twice in the final seconds. Clark missed both, leaving the Aces with an opportunity to tie the game on one possession.
This awful home loss is on Caitlin. Missed both clinching free throws late in reg, then terrible turnover late in OT. Chelsea Gray made her pay both times with stunning clutch 3s - to tie at the buzzer then win it at the buzzer. Congrats to Chelsea/Aces, who were down 20.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) August 7, 2026Gray took advantage.
The veteran guard buried a 3-pointer as time expired, erasing Indiana’s lead and sending the game to overtime. It was a painful swing for a Fever team that had been seconds away from securing its 20th victory of the season.
Clark received another opportunity to help Indiana close the game in overtime. The Fever led 84-83 with seven seconds remaining and had possession, but Clark’s pass was intercepted.
Las Vegas again put the ball in Gray’s hands. She delivered another 3-pointer at the buzzer, completing the comeback and silencing the Indiana crowd. Clark’s eight assists demonstrated the playmaking influence she had throughout the game, but Bayless focused on the two moments that decided the outcome.
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Bayless’ criticism stood out because he has been one of Clark’s most vocal supporters throughout the season. He previously defended the Fever guard after she earned her third WNBA Player of the Week award, using the announcement to address players he believed had disrespected her.
This time, he did not offer Clark any protection. The defeat was particularly damaging because Indiana had controlled such a large portion of the contest. Blowing a 20-point lead would have been difficult enough to accept, but the Fever also had separate opportunities to put the game away in regulation and overtime.
The result gave Indiana its second consecutive defeat following a five-game winning streak. The Fever dropped to 19-12 and remained sixth in the WNBA standings after recently climbing as high as fourth.
Clark and Indiana will not have much time to dwell on the collapse. The Fever are scheduled to face the Chicago Sky on Saturday before meeting the New York Liberty on Tuesday. One rough finish will not erase everything Clark has accomplished this season. It did, however, provide a harsh reminder that the biggest stars often receive the most blame when a game slips away.
Against Las Vegas, Clark had two opportunities to close the door. Gray made sure the Fever regretted leaving it open.
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