Valkyries said quiet part out loud about stopping Caitlin Clark—then did it

Talking the talk is one thing, and nobody likes a yapper. But Golden State's coach walked the walk and we have to respect it. Before the game, Natalie Nakase told reporters exactly how she intended to coach her players to defend Caitlin Clark, and it worked like a charm.

The Fever got out-hustled by Golden State

The Valkyries did exactly what Coach Nakase said they would do. They picked Clark up as soon as she passed half-court and stuck to her like honey on glue. The most frustrating part was that Caitlin couldn't draw any fouls from their physicality. She shot five free throws in the second half, but none in the first, and with the way she was shooting, the Fever star could have attacked more.

She ended the game with 11 points—tied for her lowest of the season. CC shot 3/14 from the field, 0/7 from three, but did grab seven boards, while dishing out nine dimes. Unfortunately, she also had six turnovers, so one of her biggest bugaboos continues to haunt her.

The team did all they could to pull out the win, and they should have had it. They led for most of the game. Aliyah Boston had 15 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks in the first half, but couldn't keep it up. She finished with 17 points, 12 boards, and the same three blocks. The Valk adjusted in the second half, making it more difficult for Boston to get the ball.

Kelsey Mitchell stepped up and added 16, but it also wasn't enough. To be fair to Indiana, though, they were without their coach. Stephanie White was not on the sidelines for this game, and good coaching matters in pro sports.

However, this is a " two things can be true" type of situation. The Fever can't be happy with themselves after losing to a team that has lost three of their most important players. Julie VanLoo, Temi Fagbenle, and Janelle Salaun are all overseas for Eurobasket, and they're all major rotational pieces for Golden State.

Chloe Bibby and Laeticia Amihere were just added to the roster to help add depth for the Valkyries after losing those players, and they both played major roles in defeating the Fever. They gave up timely rebounds, turned over the ball too much, and, quite frankly, Clark was getting beat off the dribble repeatedly.

The Fever didn't have DeWanna Bonner due to personal reasons, but other than that, they had a full team minus their coach. If this team wants to pull off something special this year, they'll need to figure out how to counter these physical strategies that slow down Clark and start playing with more pride down the stretch.