Liberty vs. Fever Score, Takeaways: Stephanie White Rips Referees than Caitlin Clark, Indiana, case in thriller

The New York Liberty won on Saturday afternoon in an exciting fight against Indiana fever. The reigning WNBA champion begins the season 3-0, while the fever is now 2-2.

In this matchup, 14 lead change, 15 ties and the last seconds were attributed. Sabrina Ionescu gave freedom the last leadership of the day of the free -wire line with three seconds, which still had a lot of time for the fever to force overtime or to meet a game winner.

Feverstar Caitlin Clark had the ball in her hands and tried to do exactly that, but Natasha Cloud locked her and pulled the ball away to help the Liberty Gainbridge Fieldhouse with the victory.

New York's depth an edge

It is not a groundbreaking observation, but it still deserves to be noted. Jonquel Jones was strong on both sides of the square and ended the day with 26 points in 60% of the shootout together with 12 rebounds.

Although Ionescu only took two of her eight 3-point attempts, he was another important offensive player with 23 points. Breanna Stewart and Natasha Cloud also contributed 16 points.

Cloud's addition, which reached 2,500 career points on Saturday, has already proven to be wise. The former Mercury Guard made a bit of everything against the fever when she also selected seven rebounds, six assists, five steals and two blocks.

Defense it wins

The defense of Cloud was the key in the last seconds, but that was one of many impressive efforts of freedom to make fever uncomfortable. Caitlin Clark had to struggle from beyond the arch, and New York held her from feeling comfortable until the end of the third quarter when she finally made a 3-point. It went 6 out of 18 from the field and 2 out of 11 from the 3-point area and at the same time played 10 sales.

Apart from that, the freedom was not consistent in the entire 40 minutes, which is why they let the fever get back into the game in the second half.

Indiana has improved considerably

The fever recorded a 15-point deficit in the first half, but their defense looked better after the break to win the third quarter with 30-13.

Only four games, the jump of the fever last season is already impressive. Let us remember that this is a franchise that has not had over 500 season since 2015, and Liberty returned the most important players from their title 2024 – and yet this game came to the wire.

Clark had a hard shootout, but the fever still kept it competitive. The former striker of South Carolina, Aliyah Boston, continues to develop well and had her third double double of the season with 27 points and 13 rebounds.

Stephanie knows unhappily with the acting

After the game, Fever trainer Stephanie White said that she thought Cloud was fouled in Cloud's last game. White added that she didn't like how her team was served this season.

“I thought she was fouled,” said White. “I think it is quite outrageous what happened to us in these last games. A minus-31 free throw discrepancy-I may understand that if we are 3S discussions, we attack the edge. The disregard of disrespectful at the moment.