Caitlin Clark Scores 20 vs. Storm as WNBA Fans Lament Fever Dropping to 1-8 on Season

The Indiana Fever's tough start to the 2024 season continued in earnest on Thursday night.

The Seattle Storm (5-3) hammered the Fever, 103-88, despite 20 points and nine assists from rookie Caitlin Clark.

It was a tough night for the WNBA's newest star, however, as she shot just 6-of-17 from the field and had seven turnovers.

She also had a notable near-scuffle with Victoria Vivians, showing some fire:

It's not as though the Fever provided Clark much help. Four of Seattle's five starters finished with at least 15 points, led by Jewell Loyd's 22, and Seattle as a team shot a sizzling 8-of-19 from beyond the arc.

Indiana is now just 1-8 on the season, and Clark's fans were fed up with her supporting cast—and her lack of a whistle compared to other notable players around the league—following the game:

The calls will eventually will come—Clark is only a rookie. You have to earn the respect that earns you a positive whistle.

The bigger question mark is about Indiana's coaching and roster construction. Some patience is required; you don't get the top overall pick in the WNBA draft and the chance to select a player like Clark by being a good team.

And Clark has been complicit in the team's struggles herself, turning the ball over 5.6 times per game while struggling to shoot as efficiently as she did at Iowa.

Again, there are growing pains for rookies in the WNBA, like any other sport. These are the best players in the world, and handing the reins to a rookie point guard comes with rough patches.

But it's fair to argue that the rest of the Fever aren't doing Clark many favors, either. It's been a brutal start to the 2024 season for Indiana.