Skip Bayless Believes 15 Minutes from Caitlin Clark Would Have Avoided Game 3 Loss to Aces

Caitlin Clark has not dribbled a ball for the Indiana Fever for most of the 2025 season. Despite that, the franchise has surged to the 2nd round of the playoffs.

Her soft tissue injuries have been a constant worry for the team, and despite spending a lot of time recovering, she finally threw in the towel with a few games left in the regular season.

As per the current CBA, once a player and their team decide they should be on the season-ending injury list, there is no way that player can be activated again in the postseason.

Even though she has confirmed she will no longer play, the star point guard has been practicing with the team, helping them get through their motions and also participating in shootarounds.

That, and the events of Game 3 of their playoff battles against the Las Vegas Aces at home, prompted veteran journalist Skip Bayless to write this on X

If only Caitlin had played in that fourth quarter. It would’ve been very different.

Skip Bayless wrote

Bayless believed that had Caitlin Clark played 15 minutes or so for the Indiana Fever, they would have had a chance at defeating the Aces and taking the series lead with another game remaining at home.

If only Caitlin had played in that fourth quarter. It would’ve been very different.

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) September 27, 2025

The home team needed an additional scoring spark, which the 23-year-old could have provided. Along with that, her exemplary passing would have helped the Fever create better separation, something the Aces’ condensed defense would have struggled to contain.

Caitlin Clark watched on as Aces proved Fever’s injuries were too much to overcome

When the Indiana Fever first assembled their 2025 roster, everyone around the league knew they were targeting a championship. Now, after 5 season-ending injuries, the franchise has surprised fans with its resilience on its way to the 2nd round.

They even won Game 1, much to the shock of analysts who picked the 2-time champions to blow the injury-riddled team out at home. Since then, A’ja Wilson and her squad adjusted their game plan and took Game 2 with ease.

Back in Indianapolis, many expected the Fever to reciprocate. The game started well, and the home team kept pace with the Aces at halftime. After continuing with that momentum in the 3rd, they fell back as the Aces upped the ante on defense.

Caitlin Clark and her bench mob’s usual cheerleading acts soon vanished. They sat on the sidelines with disappointed looks on their faces, knowing a healthy and strong team defeated them.

The away squad proved in Game 3 that the Fever’s injuries were too insurmountable, especially when the level of play goes up in the postseason. That is why Skip Bayless hoped Caitlin Clark had played 15 odd minutes.

Fever couldn’t capitalize on A’ja Wilson and Jewel Loyd’s poor shooting night

Entering this game, the Indiana Fever knew that they had to keep 4-time MVP A’ja Wilson in check. They managed to do that as she shot just 6-20 from the floor.

On top of that, star guard Jewel Loyd drew a blank despite playing 23 minutes. The Fever could not capitalize on these misses as they themselves were struggling with poor shooting.

Starters Aliyah Boston, Odyssey Sims, and Kelsey Mitchell made just 13 out of 49 shots. A combined 26% from the field from them is not good enough even in a regular-season game, let alone the playoffs.

Had they shot at least 10% better, they could have headed to Game 4 with the momentum needed to reach the WNBA Finals. Alas, that was not to be, and now the Fever are about to end their season on Sunday.

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