"It's a low-IQ shot" - Controversial analyst slams Caitlin Clark’s clutch-time choice in thriller game vs Aces

On Friday, Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever faced off with the defending WNBA champions, the Las Vegas Aces, in a highly-anticipated rematch. After facing off earlier in the week on Sept. 11, the two teams met again for the final time in the regular season. Late in the game, after a third-quarter rally from the Fever, Caitlin Clark fired off a deep three-pointer with less than 90 seconds left in regulation.

The shot missed, with the rebound being hauled down by the Aces, who went on to win the game 78-74. Following the game, former ESPN analyst Jason Whitlock reacted to a post from a fan on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The fan posted a clip of Clark's three-point miss, criticizing the rookie for her shot selection while pointing out that Clark hasn't won a championship at any level of basketball. In response, Whitlock weighed in, refuting the point about the rookie having not won any titles, while agreeing with the fan about Clark's shot selection.

"This is overstated. The '0' championships comment isn't accurate. Iowa won at a high level. But it's 100 percent accurate that it's an incredibly bad and selfish shot. 15 seconds on the shot clock and Boston has a mouse on her. It's a low-IQ shot. She can do better."

Clark notably went just 2-8 from the three point line throughout the game, struggling to find her shot from beyond the arc despite going 5-10 on the rest of her field goal attempts.

"They're a legit three-headed monster," - Becky Hammon praises Indiana Fever's big three of Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell following close game

This season, the Las Vegas Aces were able to sweep Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever throughout four regular-season meetings. Despite that, in the most recent meeting on Friday night, the Fever made things competitive despite an early deficit.

After being outscored 19-13 in the first quarter, the Fever were then outscored in the second 24-22. While down eight points on the scoreboards heading into the half, Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever were able to cut into the Aces' lead in the third, outscoring the team 22-17.

In the fourth, however, the defending champs fought back, fending off the late-game comeback attempt from Indiana en route to a 78-74 win. Following the game, which saw Clark set the WNBA single-season assist record, coach Becky Hammon praised the Fever:

"They're a legit three-headed monster. You have to play defense against this team, otherwise they're too good offensively. We don't want to get into a situation where we have to outscore them because they really have some unbelievable scorers."

In addition to the 18 points scored by Caitlin Clark throughout the game, which saw the presumptive Rookie of the Year winner flirt with a triple-double, Kelsey Mitchell dropped 20 points on 50% shooting from the floor, while Aliyah Boston contributed another 14 points and eight rebounds.

As the Fever look to remain above .500, while battling the Phoenix Mercury for the sixth seed in the postseason, the team will be back in action on Sunday when the Dallas Wings travel to Indiana.