The Fever have been on a roll since returning from the Olympic break, qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
They have proven their ability to do damage against top teams, making Indiana a favorite to make a deep playoff run.
But Friday's game against the second-ranked Lynx, who are 7-1 since returning from a one-month hiatus, was demoralizing and saw Caitlin Clark's infectious passion overly focused on officiating during a difficult time.
And the rookie sensation believed he could have handled it better.
The game was close with Indiana leading by five points at halftime, but the advantage didn't last long as the Lynx took a 29-12 lead.
Attention shifted to the refereeing and the Fever's lack of foul calls, which led to Clark and Aliyah Boston, who was called for her third technical foul of the season in the third quarter, blaming the officials.
The Lynx won the game 99-88, but Clark acknowledged that he had overstepped the line between playing with emotion and playing with emotion and that it wasn't his best play or a good example for his teammates.
“I definitely think I have limitations,” Clark told reporters after the game. “I thought I got fouled a couple times in the second half on mid-range jump shots and it was frustrating. That's how it goes. Sometimes you get called, sometimes you don't. That's how it goes… I thought I could have controlled my emotions a little better.”
“I think there are limits and sometimes passion and emotion get the better of you, but it's not something I want to change or anyone on the team wants to change.”
Clark, who finished with 25 points, struggled to find fouls in the second half, taking multiple shots from mid-range to try to force calls when he could.
She also committed seven turnovers in the game, including two in the second half, and the No. 1 overall pick even collapsed to the floor in frustration after a blocked shot.
On their next possession, the Lynx scored to take a double-digit lead.
With Clark as their leader, the Fever played like the young, inexperienced team they were at the start of the season.
“She's just so passionate,” Fever head coach Christy Sides said. “Her competitive spirit reminds me of Diana Taurasi. That's what she is. So when she gets upset or upset, we've tried to figure out how to get through those moments.”
“She's got to learn that in those moments, a point guard has to stay calm and get in the situation they need to be in offensively and if it's not the foul call that she thought it was, she has to go back,” Sides continued. “That's what we're working on. That's what we have to do as a young team, is talk about those moments, watch them on video and show them, 'This isn't how this is supposed to happen.'”
“Everything we do has a reaction, and in those moments we have to make sure we don't put ourselves in a worse situation.”
The Fever will have a chance to learn from their mistake before facing the Dream on Sunday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and then the two-time defending champion Aces on Wednesday and Friday.
Indiana has five games remaining before the playoffs, where they could face the Lynx in a higher-level environment as well as other Eastern Conference threats, including the Liberty and Sun, who are both in the running to qualify for the playoffs.
The WNBA playoffs begin on September 22nd.
