Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark was happy to see the Atlanta Dream’s series of last-minute shot attempts fall short in regulation. Rhyne Howard, Angel Reese and Naz Hillmon all failed in the final seconds with the score tied 81-81. The broadcast captured Clark smiling as he walked toward the Fever bench after the bell rang. Indiana ultimately won 95-91 in overtime. “It happens,” Dream star Allisha Gray said of Reese’s bad luck in hoops. “We know that any other time, Angel will make the shot. He knows he will. At that point, you just have to cheer on your teammates.” Reese scored another double-double (15 points and 14 rebounds), but his deflected layup summed up his afternoon. He ended up shooting 5 of 16 from the field and was held scoreless in the fourth quarter. The three-time All-Star wasn’t the only Atlanta player who struggled to find her stroke. The Dream shot 35.3 percent overall as a team and were 8 of 32 from beyond the arc. Karl Smesko’s team will rue the missed opportunities to close out what could be a major win in the WNBA standings. The Fever now sit in fourth place and have a 1.5-game cushion over the Dream, and Sunday’s result could play a deciding role in where both finish. Indiana is really finding its groove. The team has won four straight and 12 of its last 16 since early July. Coach Stephanie White has had to battle some ridicule from her own fans, but her players may be peaking at the right time.
