INDIANAPOLIS -- Caitlin Clark's return from a groin injury was not enough to make up for what coach Stephanie White called the Indiana Fever's "lack of competitive fire" that led to a 80-61 home loss to the Golden State Valkyries on Wednesday.
"We struggled scouting-report wise. We struggled [with] personnel. We struggled to do what the coaches asked of us," said Clark, who notched 10 points on 4-for-12 shooting (2-for-5 on 3s) in her first game since June 24. "And then overall, they just played with more energy and effort, and those are the things that just can't happen."
Added White: "I'm not sure if it's not knowing the game plan... as much as not executing the game plan. Our attention to detail, our discipline. I felt like our energy and our competitive fire was not there, and that's disappointing."
The Fever (9-10) fell below .500 with the loss. They are 5-5 with Clark on the floor and 5-5 without her, including last week's Commissioner's Cup final victory that did not count toward regular-season standings.
Clark played just under 25 minutes on Wednesday, compiling 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 turnovers. She now has 31 games in her career with 10 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, a league record through a player's first two seasons.
Clark, who also missed five games across late May and early June with a quad injury, said it may take some time to get her wind back but that she "felt pretty good," playing in shorter stints.
White was mostly pleased with Clark's return, adding there were periods when Clark "really looked good." The Fever also got their first look at pairing Clark in the backcourt with fellow point guard Aari McDonald, who had taken over the role during Clark's absence. Indiana started both guards and had Lexie Hull come off the bench.
"Maybe I'm naive, but I don't worry about Caitlin getting back into the flow offensively," White continued. "I think my biggest concern is when we reintegrate her, how do we continue to keep our ball movement and get the ball going not just side to side, but baseline to baseline.
"I was a little bit concerned defensively, just lots of movement, lots of lateral movement. I thought she looked good at times, and I think that that's just building consistency and building her endurance and all of that."
Still, the team's offensive production on Wednesday left much to be desired, which White attributed to the Valkyries' physicality. The Fever committed 14 turnovers, shot just 31% (their worst clip since July 2019) and were held to 19 combined points in the second and fourth quarters. Indiana was held to 26 paint points despite leading the league in paint scoring (roughly 40 PPG).
Indiana's defeat marked its second straight loss following a strong week when, without Clark, the Fever took down the top-ranked Minnesota Lynx in the Commissioner's Cup final and then the Las Vegas Aces behind their best defensive performances of the season.
"I think our team, we have a lot of inconsistency," Hull said. "We raised to the occasion when we're playing for $30,000 [in the Cup final] and we need to bring that level of focus and that level of energy every single day... We really need to regroup, turn the page, learn from this, and come with a better mindset on Friday."
Added White: "I think this is a group that focuses, but you can focus and then you have to be able to go out and be disciplined enough to execute it, right? And I'm not sure [why there's inconsistency]. As coaches, that's our job to figure it out."