Caitlin Clark’s thrilling fourth quarter, which ended in defeat to Sun highlights her skills as well as room for growth.

Clark scored the seven assists and five points throughout the game, however, he made several costly mistakes

Caitlin Clark’s Monday night nearly came to an early end when she rolled her ankle early in the second quarter, but she returned to play one of her best games yet. Still, it was not enough for the Indiana Fever to get their first win of the season as they fell to the Connecticut Sun, 88-84.

Clark completed playing with 17 point and three rebounds. She also had five assists as well as two turnovers and five blocks on 5-of-11 shooting from field. She did the majority of her damage in the fourth quarter where she scored seven points as well as five assists to bring the Fever battle to the last second. However she made some costly moments that proved how she still has room to develop.

Here’s a look into the positive and negative aspects of Clark’s hectic last 10 minutes.

The best is: Innovative playmaking

Clark began in the fourth quarter, assisting with three baskets in succession for the Fever and stayed with that same pace the rest of the way. All five assists occurred within the frame and she was unfortunate not to have added another. The most significant of them all came at the end of the game when she pulled two players off the pick-and roll and made a perfect pass to Aliyah Boston on a flawless pocket pass to score a game-winning bucket.

The initial games have been challenging at times, when Clark as well as her new team are learning to play one another. When she finds her rhythm, such as that she was in fourth match against the Sun and the Sun, she can make life simpler for the team. When these runs become commonplace then the Fever will begin picking wins.

The problem: A lack of resiliency

Clark is a tough opponent. While she is one of her greatest traits, there are moments where she gets too far and loses her vigor. When she was in college the situation was rarely a problem because Iowa particularly during her final years, was often the best team.

With the Fever It’s the total opposite. They’re among the most sloppy teams in the league, and they can be ill-equipped to handle such a rage. The fourth quarter ended in a tense manner when the Fever still holding a small edge, Clark turned the ball across two times in one row. The second time she thought she had been inflicted a foul by Alyssa Thomas, and then grabbed Tyasha Harris, who stopped the break. She was cited for a transition take foul and then yelled at the referee and was slapped with an technical.

The Sun was able to score only one point with the two free throws and the extra possession, but this sequence is an experience for Clark.

The positive thing about a shotgun made of clutch

Just a few minutes into the fourth quarter the Fever finally had the opportunity to go for a run. Erica Wheeler led the charge and Clark following her. In the halfcourt area, Wheeler looked back and handed a ball to Clark who came up from 33 feet but didn’t catch anything except net.

It is Clark at her most efficient and the fact she was able to give the Fever the advantage in the process made the experience more thrilling. In actuality the seven Clark scores in the 4th led to a tie and provided Fever Fever victory. We’ve seen her play for many years, she’s not scared to take on the challenge. After a string that ended in blowouts, it’s enjoyable to watch Clark play some games that had a lasting impact.

The bad: defensive awareness

Clark isn’t known for her defense and, if you’re expecting she’s been a bit exposed in that area of the ball throughout the beginning four contests. It’s one thing to be physically under-matched, and she has nothing to change that at this point in her career.

However, there are also occasions that have nothing to do with have anything to do with size. Consider, for instance, this moment at the end of fourth quarter.. As the clock drew closer to 2 minutes Clark had to guard Tyasha Harris. Harris passed the ball to Alyssa Thomas. Thomas then got it back in a handoff. Somehow, Clark fell over the Thomas screen and Harris hit a crucial 3-pointer that extended the Sun’s lead to four.

Harris is a professional 37.8 percent shooter from downtown, and was shooting at 50% during the season, which continued to Monday evening. Clark must be aware of this and fight for the screen. Everyone is susceptible to rookie errors, of course however, in these kinds of high leverage moments, errors similar to those that occur at the professional level are not possible.