Dream coach reveals what hurt the most after overtime loss to Caitlin Clark, Fever

The Indiana Fever started their five-game road trip strong with a win against the Atlanta Dream on Sunday.

Fans in the arena witnessed a neck-and-neck game that went to overtime. Kelsey Mitchell made the go-ahead basket late in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 81. Indiana went on to secure a 95-91 victory in overtime.

Alisha Gray led the way for Atlanta, finishing with 32 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Angel Reese recorded a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds to go along with six assists.

The Fever’s starting five had a great game. Makayla Timpson finished with 20 points and seven rebounds. Aliyah Boston contributed 18 points, 14 rebounds, and five steals, while Kelsey Mitchell added another 20 points.

Caitlin Clark led the way for the 2025 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup champions. She recorded 26 points, three rebounds, and nine assists. She continues to be the driving force behind her squad, which is now on a four-game winning streak.

Clark has scored 22 or more points in each of those four games. She has also been a great facilitator, averaging 9.6 assists over Indiana’s last five outings.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts to a play against the Minnesota Lynx in the second quarter.

Dream head coach addresses tough loss to Caitlin Clark, Fever

The Dream suffered their 13th loss of the season. Head coach Karl Smesko said the loss to Indiana hurt because they were so close to sealing the game.

“Indiana’s excellent,” Smesko said postgame. “Despite being shorthanded, we were right there. That’s why it hurts so much, because we were right there.”

Smesko said the Dream need to finish games better and make adjustments more quickly.

“(We) just have to be able to finish that off a little bit better,” he added. “When teams make an adjustment, (we need) to be a little quicker to make our own adjustments.”

Atlanta’s head tactician also mentioned that the team is usually more composed in late-game situations.

“One thing in the past we had trouble with is they get to the fourth quarter, and then we just watch one person with the ball try to create everything,” Smesko added.

“It was just a weird time for that to come back up. That hasn’t been us all year, and I don’t expect it to be us going forward.”

Smesko and the Dream will be on the road for their next four games. They will face the Las Vegas Aces, the Phoenix Mercury, and the Los Angeles Sparks twice before returning home.