3 hours ago
Sage Steele: WNBA mishandling generational talent Caitlin Clark
Host of 'The Sage Steele Show' Sage Steele asserts nan WNBA is mishandling generational talent Caitlin Clark. Steele critiques nan league's consistently mediocre officiating, which has led to galore uncalled fouls against Clark and different players this season. She stresses that this continued neglect risks losing nan WNBA's increasing fanbase.
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Believe it aliases not, we are only 2 months distant from nan WNBA Playoffs. There is simply a batch of worldly still to travel pinch nan season, but erstwhile your play is only 44 games, it tends to spell by reasonably quickly. This has been an absorbing campaign. With 2 caller teams successful nan league, a large turnaround from nan Wings, and somewhat of a falloff from nan Aces and Liberty, location mightiness beryllium immoderate caller excitement successful nan postseason. Before we get there, let's talk astir nan Sun and nan league's astir celebrated team, nan Fever.
The Connecticut Sun are 7-19 for nan play and person won conscionable 3 games connected nan road. I judge this will beryllium nan past play for nan Sun successful Connecticut, and this will beryllium 1 that everyone forgets. The Sun started nan twelvemonth pinch conscionable 2 wins successful 15 games, but person gone 5-4 complete nan past 9 games, truthful astatine slightest nan Sun are showing a spot of progress. The biggest problem for this squad seems to beryllium that it can't find anyone to get a bucket erstwhile perfectly needed.
Phoenix Mercury guardant Natasha Mack fights for a rebound pinch Connecticut Sun halfway Brittney Griner astatine Mortgage Matchup Center successful Phoenix connected July 19, 2026. (Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA T)
The squad is led by Brittney Griner, but she is scoring conscionable 14.1 points successful 25.8 minutes. This is her second-lowest full constituent accumulation since her rookie season. Last twelvemonth was her worst, posting conscionable 9.8 points per game. Perhaps it is because she is 35 years aged and slowing down, but she is nary longer nan unit she erstwhile was. The bigger rumor for nan squad is that it is conscionable a hodgepodge of players - immoderate are castoffs from different teams, others are free agents that person been pieced together. However, nan pieces really don't fresh well.
CAITLIN CLARK SMACKED IN THE FACE BY WNBA LEGEND AFTER GETTING FOUL THAT COULD TRIGGER FINE IN BIG WIN
The Indiana Fever person a amended grounds than nan Sun, but that's not overmuch of a challenge. I deliberation 1 of nan things to retrieve astir nan Fever is that they get nan champion effort from each squad they face, each night. The WNBA players don't really for illustration Caitlin Clark (at slightest that's really it seems), and nan effort level is intelligibly different successful games pinch her involved. The Fever are 10-5 astatine location this year, and person won 7 of their past 10 games overall. One different point to retrieve astir nan Fever is that nan opening of this play was a awesome adjustment.
Caitlin Clark attacks nan rim arsenic nan Indiana Fever return connected nan Las Vegas Aces successful a marquee WNBA matchup. (David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images)
Clark was out almost all of past season, and her coming into nan fold erstwhile again, moreover aft a really successful tally successful nan playoffs past twelvemonth without her, meant nan squad had to study caller roles. She is ball-dominant and a awesome passer, truthful nan squad had to alteration its discourtesy a bit. The Fever do look to beryllium getting backmost to what they were champion astatine past season, erstwhile they looked to get Kelsey Mitchell buckets. She has led them successful scoring successful 8 of nan past 9 games. Perhaps it is simply a equilibrium betwixt past year's occurrence and this year's adjustments.
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The Sun are not a squad that you'd expect to people a ton of points - averaging only astir 80 points per game. However, nan Fever are not a very bully protect team, and again, you get a large effort each clip from nan opposition. I consciousness for illustration nan full tin spell either way, I don't cognize that nan Sun tin extremity nan Fever, but I don't deliberation nan Fever person overmuch liking successful playing defense, either.
Indiana Fever players Lexie Hull (10), Caitlin Clark (22), and Damiris Dantas (12) observe aft nan crippled against nan Phoenix Mercury astatine PHX Arena successful Phoenix, Arizona, connected July 9, 2026. (Kate Frese/NBAE via Getty Images)
CAITLIN CLARK DROPS 32-POINT DOUBLE-DOUBLE IN TAYLOR SWIFT NIKES AS FEVER SURVIVE STUNNING SKY COMEBACK IN OT
The Fever person a remainder advantage successful this game; they've been astatine location for a while, but did person a back-to-back earlier this. Still, they've been disconnected for a mates of days. Being successful nan aforesaid gym for aggregate days helps pinch show lines for shooters and allows them to beryllium much comfortable. The Sun will person a agelong long disconnected aft this game, but will still beryllium connected nan road. I for illustration nan Fever early successful this 1 arsenic I'm not judge they will rustle retired nan Sun late. Connecticut has kept games adjacent connected nan roadworthy lately. Give maine nan Fever 1st 4th astatine -2.5. I deliberation this is wherever they will person nan biggest advantage of being acquainted for shooting.
