Caitlin Clark shines, but Fever suffer embarrassing blowout loss to Mystics as playoff race heats up

You have to hate Sunday's performance if you're an Indiana Fever fan.

The Fever seemed to join Week 2 of the NFL in a scoring slump on Sunday, falling to the Washington Mystics 93-77 in a one-sided loss with real playoff implications on the line. The defeat extinguished much of the Fever's late-season momentum.

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Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever shoots while defended by Shakira Austin of the Washington Mystics at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on Sept. 20, 2026. (Getty Images)

A squad of Fever veterans got thoroughly outplayed by a youth-heavy Washington roster. (Fever fans, you know how this looks, right? Not great.)

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Caitlin Clark, as expected, led all scorers with 25 points and added five assists, though she also committed five turnovers. Clark and Kelsey Mitchell were the only real sparks for the Fever on Sunday, accounting for 47 of their 77 points.

Not even a home-court advantage could elevate the Fever in a miserable all-around outing.

Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever shoots the ball while defended by Lauren Betts of the Washington Mystics at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on Sept. 20, 2026. (Getty Images)

Sophie Cunningham #8 of the Indiana Fever smiles before the game against the Washington Mystics on Sept. 20, 2026, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. (NBAE via Getty Images)

The Washington game was crucial for the Fever, who slipped a game behind the Atlanta Dream for fourth seeding.

Indiana leaned on the perimeter early, but went 0-for-7 from deep to open the game. Sophie Cunningham, one of the league's top three-point shooters, played just four minutes in the first half as Indiana fell into a 51-30 hole at the break.

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Washington eventually stretched its lead to 26. Indiana trimmed that deficit to 14 in the third quarter, but that was the best push the Fever could muster against a Mystics team featuring more than half its roster in their first or second year.

With two upcoming games against the league-best Minnesota Lynx, the pressure is on coach Stephanie White and the Fever to shake off Sunday's ugly loss and deliver a statement before the postseason.

NBAE via Getty Images Aliyah Boston No. 7 of the Indiana Fever drives to the basket against the Washington Mystics on Sept. 20, 2026, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. (NBAE via Getty Images)

The Fever's first game out of the FIBA break saw them notch an 18-point win over the struggling Toronto Tempo. Sunday's loss wiped away that momentum, but knocking off the Lynx would certainly boost morale in Indy, and then some.

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Alejandro Avila is a longtime writer at OutKick, living in Southern California.