Caitlin Clark & Monique Billings: Indiana Fever Postgame — vs. Phoenix Mercury — 06.22.26

[0:00] Mo, how would you assess your performance tonight [0:03] and what went into just having that all-around effect on the game? [0:06] I would just say I had good energy, good hustle. [0:09] My teammates found me in the pocket, CeCe specifically, [0:12] had some really good passes. [0:14] And, yeah, I would just say energy and hustle play. [0:17] Kaitlyn, can you speak to the chemistry you have with Mo [0:19] and you've been developing through the last few games? [0:21] Yeah, I mean, obviously it was great. [0:22] I got to play with her at Team USA. [0:24] And, you know, it's fast in the WNBA. [0:26] You don't get, like, a lot of time to develop with one another. [0:28] So just really proud of her and how she came out tonight. [0:30] I thought she was, like, diving hard, [0:32] which was an emphasis coming into the game. [0:33] It was, like, get out of screens. [0:34] We want to get dives. [0:35] We want to get rolls, especially even coming out of halftime. [0:37] She did that really well. [0:38] She finished through contact. [0:39] She made free throws. [0:40] So, and then she rebounded the ball really well, [0:42] especially early in the game. [0:43] She got us a few extra chances when things were not going our way at all. [0:47] So I'm just really happy for her. [0:49] Pick up the tech tonight, fifth of the season. [0:51] Yeah, it's ridiculous. [0:53] I got a technical for clapping. [0:54] So, like, if we should all just go on the calendar now [0:58] and pick a game that I'm going to be suspended for [1:00] if I'm going to get technicals for clapping. [1:01] And I asked Gerda. [1:02] Gerda said that I got a technical for clapping. [1:04] So if any technical should be taken away, it should be that one. [1:07] If it's truly for clapping, that's what they said they gave it to me for. [1:10] It was for clapping. [1:11] So it's just ridiculous. [1:12] I don't understand it at all. [1:14] So even within that, though, [1:15] how aware do you have to be of the eight technical fouls? [1:19] I mean, I'm going to play with emotion. [1:20] I'm going to play with passion. [1:21] And if they're going to give me a technical foul for clapping, [1:23] then so be it. [1:24] That's their choice. [1:25] And the league can come back and review that play, [1:28] and I'd love to hear what they say of the reasoning of why I got the technical foul [1:32] in that situation and why other players on their team didn't get a technical foul [1:34] in that situation. [1:35] If anything, split it. [1:36] Okay, fine. [1:36] Everybody gets a technical foul. [1:37] That wasn't how they were handed out. [1:39] So I'd love to know. [1:41] But obviously, that's what I went to the girl and said. [1:43] I said, why did you give me a technical foul? [1:45] She said, because I was clapping and instigating. [1:47] I said, okay. [1:48] And you just don't like competitive basketball. [1:50] And that's just facts. [1:51] That's just reality. [1:52] So disappointing from them. [1:55] Obviously, it was a pretty dismal first quarter with only three points [1:59] until Kelsey Mitchell hit that three-pointer. [2:01] Just what, from your guys' perspective, went throughout that first quarter? [2:07] I mean, I didn't think we came out with much energy. [2:09] I thought the way they really packed the paint bothered us early on. [2:15] I think we let it bother us. [2:16] We kind of just got stationary. [2:17] We were just standing. [2:19] You know, we got to cut. [2:20] We got to move. [2:20] We got to do things like that. [2:21] And then we probably let, you know, missed shots affect us too. [2:24] Like, you know, I looked up. [2:25] I think nine of our first 13 shots were threes, and we made one. [2:28] And so, and I'm pretty sure it might have been Kelsey's last attempt [2:31] of the first quarter. [2:32] So, you know, can't live and die by the three-point line. [2:35] But also, like, get cutting, get moving. [2:36] And then also, they were scoring the ball at will. [2:38] And, like, that was the difference in really the rest of the game [2:41] is we played in transition. [2:42] We got stops. [2:43] We passed. [2:44] We cut. [2:44] We moved. [2:44] Even when they went zone, we were able to exploit that. [2:47] So, you know, can't get stagnant. [2:49] Got to keep moving, I think, is probably the focus going forward [2:52] because I'm sure they'll guard us in a similar manner. [2:53] What was the message from staff or just in the huddle in general [2:58] after that first quarter for you guys to come out with 35-point second quarter, [3:02] 30-point third quarter? [3:03] We challenged our energy. [3:05] We just came out a little flat. [3:06] I think we let our offense dictate our defense. [3:09] Shots weren't falling. [3:10] So we were kind of on our heels on defense, not bringing as much energy. [3:13] So, yeah, she just challenged us to wake up. [3:17] From both of your perspectives, what kind of turned in that second half [3:20] once you established a really big lead, started playing better, [3:23] that kind of led to the kind of kerfuffles going on between the two teams there? [3:29] I think hustle plays. [3:31] Hustle plays really got us going, kept us in it. [3:33] Second-chance points, being the first to the ball, diving on the floor, [3:39] just that brought energy, that brought like a spark to us that we needed. [3:44] Mo, where does your calmness come from? [3:46] How do you stay even? [3:47] Because I feel like you're like the calmest person on earth, [3:49] even when things go good, bad, whatever. [3:51] Where does that come from? [3:52] Yeah. [3:53] I meditate a lot. [3:55] Meditate. [3:56] We do box breathing here and different breathing techniques. [3:59] So, just trying to keep that in mind and just stay even. [4:05] Kaitlyn, DB posted you that kind of started that whole incident. [4:09] What did you just see from, I guess, your vantage point? [4:12] And then what did you hear on the court afterwards? [4:16] I thought it was just an arm entanglement, I guess. [4:19] And I thought it was fine, like whatever. [4:22] Like I don't think initially there was technicals handed out for that, I guess. [4:26] I think it was maybe the scuffle that ensued between both teams after that. [4:30] Honestly, I don't remember hearing anything specific words, but I don't know. [4:39] I appreciate my having my back, you know. [4:41] It's nice to have a teammate like that that's always going to go to battle for their teammates. [4:44] And, you know, I thought we did a good job of refocusing and trying to, you know, [4:48] obviously they called everything from that point, which is kind of what they have to do [4:51] to be able to control the game. [4:53] So, I don't know how long the fourth quarter was, but it felt really long. [4:57] Sorry, I have to also ask, did you ask to go back into the game with like two-ish minutes left or? [5:07] I did not, no. [5:08] Why did you go back in? [5:11] I guess you can ask Steph. [5:12] I don't know. [5:15] It was a 12-point game at that point, but yeah, you can ask Steph. [5:19] I don't have an answer for you to win the game, I guess.