Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston speak to reporters after Indiana Fever beat Golden State Valkyries

[0:00] Kaitlyn, after the last few days, what did it mean for you to just go out there and play, [0:03] especially in a game like that where it was a little more intense? [0:05] Yeah, it was definitely really physical, too. [0:08] And they're a really good team, and they're really good defensively. [0:10] And we battled, and I thought we played really great defense, especially in the second half. [0:14] And I thought we got off to a good start, and then we kind of dropped a little bit. [0:17] And then the second half was really, really good and kind of powered us through. [0:20] I thought we played great one-on-one defense. [0:22] That was kind of what they were just doing, is hunting ISO, especially on meaning, [0:25] like just ISO, ISO, ISO, top of the key. [0:28] And we forced them into a contested team. [0:29] I think they were 4-17 in the fourth quarter, so it was a recipe for a win for us. [0:34] But for me personally, it was definitely good to see my first two shots go in [0:38] and then kind of go from there. [0:39] What happened in that chippy moment with Solana at halftime that led to the double techs? [0:42] I was just trying. [0:43] Oh, did I get a technical? [0:44] You did. [0:45] Oh, no way. [0:46] Oh, it just makes sense for the rest tonight, so I'm not surprised. [0:49] Wow. [0:50] Wow, I could have got ejected. [0:51] I should have been a little bit safe. [0:53] Okay, well, I guess I have some fines coming my way. [0:57] Wow. [0:58] You're paying a lot. [0:59] Well, the rest were interesting, but I'm not going to say anything else, [1:03] because obviously I got probably $1,000 worth of fines coming my way, but I was just trying [1:08] to get the rebound, and I didn't know I got a technical foul, but thanks for looking at me [1:12] now. [1:13] I'm just kidding. [1:14] Sorry. [1:15] Next question. [1:18] Aaliyah, Raven provided you guys a spark, especially in that second half tonight. [1:23] What do you think of what she did tonight and just her ability to do that off the bench? [1:27] Yeah, I think for Raven, her immediate impact, I think, is great. [1:30] I think defensively, she picks up the ball pretty high and just tries to make it difficult [1:33] on whoever's dribbling the ball, so I think that's definitely her impact tonight, and then [1:37] obviously she was able to get downhill and knock down the big three for us in LA, so I think [1:41] that means she's just doing exactly what we needed to do. [1:44] Kaitlin, in the third quarter, you hit the deep three to tie the game, and you kind of [1:48] go on a little personal run there with some of the plays you were making. [1:51] Yeah. [1:51] What is it about those intense moments? [1:53] You're talking, you're talking, those moments that you enjoy so much about the game? [1:57] Yeah, I think that's just being a competitor. [1:59] I'm like, that's what's fun. [2:00] That's what I love about it, and I think that's what gets the crowd into it, too, and [2:03] gets my teammates hyped up, and I think there's times I can probably find a little bit [2:06] better of a balance, because doing all that is a little bit exhausting, too, but I just [2:10] love the game. [2:11] I love being out there, and I love those moments and getting the crowd hype, and I think that [2:15] just brings out the best in both teams. [2:17] This is a great game, a lot of great competitors on both sides, and we both want to win, and [2:21] I think Natalie's done a great job coaching them. [2:24] She gets in to compete no matter what. [2:26] They played a tough game and won last night in New York, and they came in here, and you [2:29] wouldn't have known that by the way she gets those girls to play, so you've got to give [2:32] them credit as well. [2:34] You've been close. [2:35] We're only in. [2:35] Did you have a sense at any point, you know, when you're up by 10 and all, are these guys [2:41] ever going to go away? [2:42] I mean, when you think about Golden State, they never go away. [2:44] It doesn't matter. [2:44] I think that's what makes them so difficult, is that no matter how big your lead is, it's [2:49] never safe, because one, they shoot for the three ball really well, and they get up a lot [2:52] of threes, they hustle on the interior, get rebounds, but they play super hard, and when [2:56] it comes to teams playing super hard, they're never going to give up, and they're never going [2:58] to call it until that last buzzer sounds, and so for us, we're just making sure that we keep [3:02] that lead and keep extending. [3:03] We're going to come back to Tony. [3:06] Yeah, Caitlin, just to kind of follow up on James' question, just what was the mindset [3:10] going into the third quarter after you guys were down? [3:13] Yeah. [3:13] We had seven, and then scored 29 points out, scored one by 12. [3:16] I mean, I thought we talked in the locker room at halftime, we were down seven, I think we [3:24] were four for 17 from three, we finished at 10 for 26, it's pretty good, and we felt like [3:29] we could probably play a little bit better one-on-one defense, and I thought that's probably [3:33] the difference there in the second half, really, we guarded it, and like I said, Natalie was [3:37] just hunting iso ball one-on-one, and if we're able to guard our yard, I think that's a hard [3:44] way to win, if we're going to be willing to play defense, and I thought we were, especially in the [3:48] third and fourth quarter, we forced them into a lot of contested twos, AB cleaned up the glass, [3:52] and they battled, but we made some free throws down the stretch, we probably could have been a lot [3:56] better from the free throw line, but we were able to close it out. [4:00] Hey, Caitlin, to that end about their one-on-one play, you get your fifth foul, they go at you twice [4:04] in the final minute, but you get the stop both times? [4:06] I don't know if that was because I had five fouls on, maybe the weakest defender on the floor. [4:10] I will say it's worth five fouls. [4:12] Well, either way they do it, and you get two stops, what do those plays mean for you? [4:16] Yeah, I mean, I think Steph's really challenged me on the defensive end, and you know, I think it's, [4:20] there's probably definitely a narrative of me not being a great defender, but I can guard. [4:25] Like, I'm long, I know angles, and you know, I can get my hands out, I can be active, [4:29] and you know, but at the same time, like, they're probably also putting me in those actions [4:34] to make me tired. [4:35] I bring the ball at 94 feet every single time, like, that's what they want to do, [4:37] they want to tire you out, and you know, you just got to sit down and guard and force them to tough twos, [4:41] and I made Chen take two tough ones on the left, one on the left and one on the right, [4:45] and you know, she would have made it good for her, but she didn't. [4:48] So, Amy cleaned up the glass, and we were able to close it out. [4:52] I think James has one last one. [4:53] Caitlin, how do you feel physically just coming out of the game? [4:55] Yeah. [4:56] Secondly, on top of that, you talked about, like, the journey to get back to a certain level. [4:59] It would be kind of up and down. [5:01] Yeah. [5:03] How do you maybe check off some milestones or assess your own progress throughout the season, [5:08] where you can go up and down and you have to give yourself grace? [5:10] Yeah, I mean, I think I've played well to this point through the season, [5:14] and obviously I played 13 games last year, and I think the piece is, like, yes, [5:19] I played USA basketball, but I didn't play 32 minutes super physical. [5:23] Like, that's the difference for me right now. [5:26] But I feel great. [5:27] I think a lot of times it's for me, like, the next day, like, understanding how my body feels [5:31] and, like, understanding that a little bit better. [5:33] Like, obviously your adrenaline is pumping. [5:35] You don't always understand right after the game. [5:37] But we have six days here in between, so this is a really important stretch for us to, one, [5:43] get better and also get our bodies right and get our minds right. [5:45] And then we go play them right away again, which, thanks, Leigh, that's fun. [5:49] But, no, overall I feel good. [5:53] It's just continuing to take care of my body, which I feel like our entire team has really done a great job of doing that this season. [5:58] You know, I think all of us kind of learned some things, whether you were injured or not last year. [6:02] You know, just how to, you know, recover, take care of yourself, [6:05] and be putting yourself in a position to be healthy for the next game. [6:09] Josh has a last one. [6:10] Hey, Amy, two for you. [6:11] How have you been encouraged by how Cece's handled everything mentally among the ups and downs of the past year? [6:17] Yeah, I think, I mean, Cece continues to show up. [6:19] And so I think for us it's just always letting her know that, like, we have her back, [6:22] and no matter what, like, we're always going to be teammates and sisters. [6:25] But I think she does a great job. [6:26] Like, you see her, I mean, she comes out, there's so much that she has to handle, [6:29] whether on the court or off the court. [6:30] But every day she shows up and gives us the best version of herself, [6:32] and I feel like we can pass for anything better. [6:35] You have six and four tonight. [6:36] What do you think contributed to such a great night on the clock? [6:39] I think just honestly being in a good position, getting down low, trying to roll out hard, [6:43] and then guards taking great expected shots, and I was just right there. [6:46] We're stealing all of them. [6:48] I need it, though. [6:49] I need it. [6:50] I need it. [6:51] I need it. [6:52] I need it. [6:53] I need it.