Caitlin Clark Leaves Game 3 With a Bloody Mouth as Fever Season Ends

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever’s season ended in painful fashion Thursday night as the Las Vegas Aces secured a 94–83 victory in the decisive Game 3 of their WNBA playoff series.

But the final minutes became one of the most talked-about moments of the night after Clark took an elbow to the mouth while battling for a rebound.

With just over three minutes remaining, Clark went up for the ball alongside Aces guard Jewell Loyd. Loyd’s elbow caught Clark in the face, leaving the Fever star with a bloody mouth. No foul was called on the play.

Clark briefly left the court before returning to the game. When she came back, she approached an official and appeared to show the referee the blood around her mouth.

The moment immediately sparked debate among fans, particularly because the Fever were fighting to keep their season alive.

Clark was later asked whether she received an explanation for the no-call.

Her response was brief:

“Your guess would be as good as mine.”

The officiating controversy did not end there.

Indiana coach Stephanie White pointed to a significant difference at the free-throw line. Las Vegas attempted 35 free throws, while Indiana attempted only 20.

Clark responded with two words that quickly became a headline:

“Hm. Interesting.”

The numbers were especially noticeable because the game was decided by 11 points. A’ja Wilson alone attempted 15 free throws and made 12.

Still, the Fever’s elimination cannot be attributed solely to officiating. Las Vegas controlled important stretches of the game, while Wilson delivered another dominant playoff performance.

The four-time MVP finished with 36 points and 10 rebounds, helping the defending champions pull away late. Clark finished with 18 points, while Kelsey Mitchell scored 23 and Aliyah Boston added 19 points and 10 rebounds for Indiana.

For Clark, it was another difficult ending against Las Vegas.

The Fever had forced the deciding game after beating the Aces 99–89 in Game 2, but Indiana could not complete the upset.

The Aces will now advance to the semifinals, while the Fever head into the offseason with plenty to evaluate.

And although the bloody-mouth moment will remain one of the lasting images from Game 3, the larger story is clear: Indiana pushed the defending champions, but Las Vegas ultimately found enough to close out the series.

One thing is certain—the rivalry between these two teams is far from finished.