logo
Troubling Caitlin Clark Issue Emerges After Missing Five Straight Fever Games

Troubling Caitlin Clark Issue Emerges After Missing Five Straight Fever Games

Yahoo12 hours ago
Troubling Caitlin Clark Issue Emerges After Missing Five Straight Fever Games originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
When Caitlin Clark came into the WNBA last year after a sensational college career at Iowa, her biggest skill was thought to be her 3-point shooting.
Advertisement
After all, she made 37.7% of her 10.4 3-point attempts a game while at Iowa, and her ability to hit shots from the suburbs with a defender in her face helped her become the NCAA's all-time leading career scorer.
But so far as a pro player, Clark's outside shooting has been inconsistent, and it has boiled down to whether she has been in the 317 area code.
A ClutchPoints post on X pointed out that at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the home of her Indiana Fever, Clark has made a sterling 44% of her 3-point attempts. But away from there, she is just 1-of-28 from beyond the arc so far this season.
Overall, Clark is averaging 18.2 points, 8.9 assists and 5.0 rebounds a game this season. She's second in the WNBA in assists average, but her shooting has been as uneven as the temperature of food cooked in an old microwave.
Advertisement
She's currently at just 39% overall and 29.5% from downtown. Her 2-point shooting accuracy is at 50.8%, which illustrates how much her inconsistency from beyond the arc has been the problem.
Interestingly, last year, she actually shot better from 3-point land on the road than at home — 36.7% versus 32.3%, to be exact.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22)Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
Lately, Clark has had an additional problem — injuries. She has appeared in just nine games so far due to multiple ailments, although it looks like she's nearing a return from a strained groin.
Somehow, the Fever have been winning games without her. While they hold a mediocre 9-9 record, they have taken eight of their last 13 games, which doesn't include their victory in the Commissioner's Cup final last week over the Minnesota Lynx.
Advertisement
Related: WNBA Applauds Indiana Fever Star After Blowout Over Aces
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

The Most Important Packers: No. 10 — Tucker Kraft
The Most Important Packers: No. 10 — Tucker Kraft

Forbes

time39 minutes ago

  • Forbes

The Most Important Packers: No. 10 — Tucker Kraft

Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft (85) was a Pro Bowl alternate last season. The Green Bay Packers went 11-6 last season, sweeping the NFC West and the AFC South along the way. Overall, though, no one in the building was happy. The Packers failed to build on their terrific finish to the 2023 campaign, settled for the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoffs, and lost a Wild Card game to eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia. Afterwards, general manager Brian Gutekunst turned up the heat on everybody in the building. 'We need to continue to ramp up our sense of urgency,' Gutekunst said. 'I think it's time we started competing for championships.' Those are fair expectations. The Packers return 20 of 22 starters, and appear to have upgraded the roster via free agency and the draft. With several third and fourth year players trending upward, Green Bay should be poised to make a move. 'I think they're ready,' Gutekunst said. Now, it's time for the Packers to prove their G.M. right. Green Bay's first training camp practice is July 23. Between now and then I will count down the '30 Most Important Packers' heading into the 2025 campaign. At No. 10 is tight end Tucker 10 Tucker Kraft, TE Last season Kraft was a Pro Bowl alternate after starting all 17 games and finishing second on the team in receptions (50) and yards (707). Kraft also led the Packers with seven receiving touchdowns. Kraft became just the fourth tight end since 2000 to have 80-plus catches, 1,000-plus receiving yards and average at least 13.0 yards per reception in his first two seasons. The others were New England Rob Gronkowski, San Diego's Hunter Henry and Baltimore's Mark Andrews. Kraft's 707 receiving yards last year were also the most by a Packer tight end since Jermichael Finley (767) in 2011. Kraft's average of 9.1 yards after the catch was also tops among all NFL tight ends and the second-best mark since 2000, trailing only San Francisco's George Kittle (9.9) in to date Kraft, a third round draft pick from South Dakota State in 2023, looked lost much of his rookie season. Kraft took off, though, after a kidney injury to Luke Musgrave in Week 11 of 2023 and finished the year with 355 receiving yards. That was the second-most in franchise history by a rookie tight end, trailing only Bubba Franks (363 in 2000). Kraft also finished with 31 catches in 2023, which was third in team history among rookie tight ends behind only Franks and Musgrave (both 34). Kraft didn't have his first reception of his rookie season until Week 4. In his last eight games of that year, though, Kraft had 29 catches for 321 yards and two touchdowns. 'A lot of it for him at the beginning was just assignment stuff, lining up in the right spot, getting off on the right snap count, blocking the right guy and then after that, like using good technique and all that stuff,' Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said of Kraft. 'So he was a little behind from that aspect, as far as the fundamental core issues that you have. Kraft ran the 40-yard dash in a respectable 4.73 coming out of SDSU. He also tied for the most bench press reps of 225 pounds (23) among the tight end group at the 2023 NFL Many expected Kraft and 2023 second round draft pick Luke Musgrave to split time last season. Instead, Kraft left Musgrave in the dust during training camp and established himself as Green Bay's No. 1 tight end. Kraft played 85.33% of the Packers' snaps, while the oft-injured Musgrave played just 13.38% of the snaps. Now, the question is how does Kraft move from good to great? Kraft is a tireless worker who wants to win as badly as anyone in the building. He's also developed into a leader rather quickly. Jermichael Finley holds the Packers' record for most receptions by a tight end in a single season (61) and Paul Coffman holds the mark for receiving yards in a season (814). Don't be surprised if Kraft surpasses both of those numbers this Said It … 'The great thing about Tuck is he'll do whatever you ask him and he's working his tail off to be a complete player, so you can get him the ball in different ways, whether that's route running, different types of routes, where you put him. Obviously that's our job to put him in those spots and he works his tail off to when he does get in those spots to do something with the ball.' — Packers tight ends coach John Dunn on Kraft'One thing we spent some time on this offseason is just kind of where we can get him to take the next step and I think just his route-running ability, getting him on more individual things like that, and just kind of growing him there. I think he did a really good job in the run game. That's one thing that hopefully he can keep improving there to be a dominant player up front. Just trying to find different ways to give him the ball, that's gonna be the big thing for us.' — Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich on Kraft'One thing I feel like I could've done better is separate in man-to-man. Most of my game was check downs underneath and my yards after catch ability, so I'm looking to put it all together. I'm looking to have every resource I need based off the repetitions I've gotten over and over and over this offseason. Last offseason, I had a torn pec. I didn't get a chance to have an opportunity to do any of this, so really being able to apply my technique and stack reps, coverages and schemes and fronts, I just got a much better feel of the game this offseason.' — Kraft on improving this seasonTHE TOP 30 • No. 30 — RB MarShawn Lloyd • No. 29 — WR Dontayvion Wicks • No. 28 — S Javon Bullard • No. 27 — WR Savion Williams • No. 26 — LB Isaiah McDuffie • No. 25 — OL Jordan Morgan • No. 24 — WR Matthew Golden • No. 23 — CB Carrington Valentine • No. 22 — WR Romeo Doubs • No. 21 — QB Malik Willis • N0. 20 — DE Lukas Van Ness • No. 19 — RG Sean Rhyan • No. 18 — LT Rasheed Walker • No. 17 — DT Devonte Wyatt • No. 16 — S Evan Williams • No. 15 — CB Nate Hobbs • No. 14 — LB Quay Walker • No. 13 — OL Aaron Banks • No. 12 — CB Keisean Nixon • No. 11 — K Brandon McManus

Jannik Sinner Opens Up After Split With Anna Kalinskaya
Jannik Sinner Opens Up After Split With Anna Kalinskaya

Yahoo

time43 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Jannik Sinner Opens Up After Split With Anna Kalinskaya

Jannik Sinner Opens Up After Split With Anna Kalinskaya originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Girlfriend rumors always follow champions, and Jannik Sinner's love life has also been the same. The World No. 1 has been creating records on court, but off it, he's had to do some emotional cleanup too. Advertisement During a recent press conference at the Italian Open in May, Sinner didn't dodge the most tough question in the room. 'I'm not in a relationship,' the 23-year-old told reporters. 'So, whoever is asking, that's it. It's all good.' That short but clear statement officially confirmed what many had been speculating, Sinner and Russian tennis player Anna Kalinskaya are no longer together. The split comes just months after Sinner first opened up about their relationship. Back in May during the French Open, he told 'Yes, I'm with Anna, but we keep everything very confidential. I won't say more.' The pair later shared a warm post-match moment at the 2024 US Open, where Kalinskaya was seen congratulating him courtside after his win against Taylor Fritz. World No. 1Jannik Sinner admits he is no longer in a relationship with fellow tennis player Anna Kalinskaya.© Susan Mullane-Imagn Images But as Wimbledon rolled around, fans noticed something different, Kalinskaya was missing from the scene. Sinner hinted that all the attention off the court caught him off guard. 'I was very surprised to see some pictures… which, you know, nothing serious,' he said. Advertisement In a June interview with Vanity Fair Italia, Sinner admitted that balancing love and life at the top of tennis isn't easy. 'I travel a lot and during tournaments, I'm very focused,' he said. 'But I think it's a beautiful thing when you find the right love.' Before dating Kalinskaya, Sinner was linked to Italian model Maria Braccini. Kalinskaya had also dated Aussie star Nick Kyrgios. Right now, though, Sinner's mind is firmly on Wimbledon. The Italian ace is chasing his first title at the All England Club, and this time, he's going all alone. Related: Jannik Sinner Sends Strong Message on Girlfriend But Rumors at Wimbledon Continue This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 13, 2025, where it first appeared.

MLB mock draft 2025: Where are Ethan Holliday, Eli Willits projected to go?
MLB mock draft 2025: Where are Ethan Holliday, Eli Willits projected to go?

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

MLB mock draft 2025: Where are Ethan Holliday, Eli Willits projected to go?

Major League Baseball's draft finally arrives July 13 from Cobb County's Roxy Theater, and while it may not light up the Georgia skies like the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game to follow the next two nights, there's no shortage of intrigue. This much we know: Eight specific players are almost certain to go in the top 10 picks. Yet in what order and to which teams remains a game of dominos that will have to wait until the clock starts. Advertisement And 10 shortstops – from MLB legacies to high school stars to college All-Americas – will consume at least half of the top 20 picks, and while the game's premier position tends to be a draft premium, this class boasts dudes who will almost assuredly stick on that position – and play at a very high level. With that, USA TODAY Sports fires some darts one last time with a final mock draft before the pickin' party commences Sunday: REQUIRED READING: Ethan Holliday could be No. 1 in MLB Draft like his brother. Add it to their competition. This selection took on an entirely different level of intrigue when the Nationals blew out GM Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez just more than a week before the draft. They wisely left the remaining infrastructure intact, which should make their draft process flow smoothly, even as interim GM Mike DeBartolo is now the ranking voice in the room. We're sticking to our guns here, even if as many as four guys might lay claim to this spot. Ultimately, the Nationals side with a potential building block rather than a ready-made ace with little present value as the franchise faces a total facelift. Advertisement 2025 MOCK DRAFT EVOLUTION: First edition (May 6) || Second edition (June 10) What a finishing kick for Anderson, who pitched a three-hit shutout against Coastal Carolina in the championship round of the College World Series, which followed a three-hit, seven-inning effort to beat Arkansas. Good luck splitting hairs between Anderson, Jamie Arnold and Liam Doyle, but we'll side with Anderson's K rate (NCAA-best 180 in 110 innings) and devastating pitch mix (think Max Fried, only firmer) with a rapid promotion in the offing in Anaheim. 3. Seattle Mariners: Aiva Arquette, SS, Oregon State Perhaps the most impactful pick in the top five, as plucking one of the top college arms or prep right-hander Seth Hernandez here would be a moderate disruption and likely introduce some exotic names into the overall top 10. But let's stay consistent with this one as the Mariners opt for the physical presence and lineup punch that Arquette would bring up the middle. Advertisement 4. Colorado Rockies: Eli Willits, SS, Fort Cobb-Broxton (Okla.) HS What do you get the franchise that needs everything? They drafted Chase Dollander and got him to Coors Field quickly, and doing the same with deluxe lefty and fellow Tennessee product Liam Doyle would be highly tempting. Yet Willits, still just 17, represents the high-end building block the franchise lacks. More: Eli Willits opted to reclassify in high school. Now, he could be a top MLB Draft pick. In this scenario, the Cardinals have their choice of remaining elite college lefties and opt for Doyle's greater swing-and-miss upside over Florida State's Jamie Arnold, though they may prove us wrong come draft night. Advertisement 6. Pittsburgh Pirates: Seth Hernandez, RHP, Corona (Calif.) HS Hernandez represents the draft's other great wild card and a test case for how high clubs would be willing to draft a prep right-hander. We'll stop just shy of calling Hernandez's repertoire 'generational,' but his high-90s fastball and pro-caliber changeup give him a significant springboard to move quicker than your average high school arm. 7. Miami Marlins: Billy Carlson, SS, Corona (Calif.) HS Make it back-to-back Panthers here, with Carlson the last of the elite-elite prep shortstops off the board. Imagine a larger version of Masyn Winn, with a similar hose at shortstop and, at 6-1, potentially greater offensive upside. Advertisement 8. Toronto Blue Jays: Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State A real coup here for Toronto, getting a mature college arm with a big league-ready fastball-slider mix. Paired with last year's No. 1, Trey Yesavage, the Blue Jays have the potential to quickly backfill a rotation that could lose Chris Bassitt and Kevin Gausman to free agency in consecutive years. 9. Cincinnati Reds: Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma The Reds may stray out of their comfort zone and go bat here, but Witherspoon could unlock an even higher level developing in their pitching program as he'll bring a high-90s fastball and low-90s slider into pro ball. Advertisement The White Sox quandary: Take the best of the next tier of prep shortstops or whichever advanced high-end college prospect almost mathematically certain to fall to them? In this case, it's Irish, who popped 18 home runs with a .469 OBP for Auburn, and will likely have a permanent home in the outfield. 11. Athletics: Tyler Bremner, RHP, UC Santa Barbara A nice value for the Athletics, getting a consensus top-five guy before Bremner got off to a slow start for UCSB. But he finished strong and could reach the majors quick enough to try out that much-maligned mound in the A's temporary Yolo County digs. Advertisement 12. Texas Rangers: JoJo Parker, SS, Purvis (Miss.) HS The math makes it highly likely Texas lands a prep shortstop and Parker is still around, high enough to keep him away from a Mississippi State commitment. That's two years in a row a Mississippi prep shortstop goes in the top dozen picks, joining Konnor Griffin (No. 9, Pittsburgh). 13. San Francisco Giants: Daniel Pierce, SS, Mill Creek (Ga.) HS Let the run continue. Pierce is already 19, which may make some clubs shy away, but still has significant offensive upside and fits in what will be the first pick under the Buster Posey regime. 14. Tampa Bay Rays: Steele Hall, SS, Hewitt-Trussville (Ala.) HS We'll stick with Hall here, possessing the power upside and versatility the Rays value as the prep shortstop pool thins a bit. Advertisement 15. Boston Red Sox: Gavin Kilen, INF, Tennessee A Red Sox draftee out of high school, Kilen will do much better than the 13th round this time, with a strong offensive profile that saw him strike out just 27 times in 245 plate appearances, most of those against SEC pitching. 16. Minnesota Twins: Marek Houston, SS, Wake Forest The question is whether Houston's very sturdy defense and developing but incomplete offensive profile slots him higher than the prep stars slated to go before him. It's hard to see him dropping any further than the Twins. 17. Chicago Cubs: Wehiwa Aloy, SS, Arkansas We'll stubbornly keep Aloy ticketed to the Cubs, even as a strong postseason that ended in Omaha further buttressed his profile. He might have smoother actions around the bag than Arquette, even if his offensive punch grades out a notch below the fellow Hawaiian collegiate star. Advertisement 18. Arizona Diamondbacks: Kayson Cunningham, SS, Johnson (Texas) HS His offensive profile fits the Diamondbacks' ethos very nicely: Contact-based and, at 5-10, 180, a compact frame that has the potential to grow into decent power. 19. Baltimore Orioles: OF Ethan Conrad, Wake Forest The Orioles control three of the next 13 picks and can get creative with their bonus pool, certainly. We stick with Conrad and the classic O's college hitter profile here. 20. Milwaukee Brewers: Andrew Fischer, INF, Tennessee Bat first, figure out the position later. Fischer slammed 25 homers with a 1.205 OPS in an exuberant platform season, and is versatile enough defensively to move around some if the power doesn't support a first base profile. Advertisement 21. Houston Astros: Jace Laviolette, OF, Texas A&M He's going to be a great value somewhere, probably, as Laviolette faded from top three talk after a season slowed by contact issues, slumps and health. Wouldn't be surprising if someone jumped on him sooner thanks to his elite raw power. 22. Atlanta Braves: Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP, Sunset (Ore.) HS Quite a talent to land here, as the 6-8 prep lefty with a fastball that reached 97 mph gives them a daunting 1-2 punch with Cam Caminiti, currently thriving in low A one year after going 24h overall. 23. Kansas City Royals: Gavin Fien, INF, Great Oak (Calif.) HS The prep version of Laviolette, in that someone may jump on him sooner based on equity already banked as opposed to an uneven platform year. Advertisement 24. Detroit Tigers: Xavier Neyens, INF, Mt. Vernon (Wash.) HS Big frame and potential big power in a nimble and athletic 6-4 package. In terms of offense, one of the top prep lefty bats available. 25. San Diego Padres: Sean Gamble, INF/OF, IMG (Fla.) Academy Versatile and projectable, Gamble – at 6-foot-1, 190 – leveled up from Iowa to IMG Academy and is a potential impact player in the middle of the diamond. 26. Philadelphia Phillies: Slater de Brun, OF, Summit (Ore.) HS The run of late-round high school players takes a few Philly targets off the board but they can still fulfill their prep preference with de Brun, a potential center fielder of the future whose speed will likely always trump his power. Advertisement 27. Cleveland Guardians: Caden Bodine, C, Coastal Carolina The Guardians opt for Contact King, as Bodine finished the season with an absurd 24 strikeouts in 313 plate appearances while churning out a .915 OPS. As the Chanticleers reeled off 26 consecutive wins to reach the College World Series finals, Bodine's stock rose along with it. 28. Kansas City Royals*: Luke Stevenson, C, North Carolina Paired with Fien, this should be a bonus pool-friendly pick as the Royals opt for the steady Stevenson, two years after making prep catcher Blake Mitchell the eighth overall pick. 29. Arizona Diamondbacks**: Brendan Summerhill, OF, Arizona Would be a coup getting Summerhill this late, as he can man all three outfield positions and put up a .343/.459/.556 line to lead Arizona to the College World Series. Advertisement 30. Baltimore Orioles**: Alex Lodise, SS, Florida State The Dick Howser Trophy winner and ACC player of the year, Lodise is a solid defender who hit 19 home runs and should develop above-average pro power and likely stick at shortstop. *- Prospect promotion incentive pick**- Free agent compensation pick Note: The Mets, Yankees and Dodgers each received a 10-pick penalty on their first picks for exceeding the second surcharge threshold of the competitive balance tax and their first picks will be 38th, 39th and 40th overall, respectively. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: MLB mock draft 2025: Projections for Ethan Holliday, Eli Willits

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store