Caitlin Clark recorded another double-double performance in Indiana Fever’s 104-100 overtime win over Atlanta Dream on Sunday. The 22-year-old Clark scored 26 points on 7-of-17 shooting from the floor, including 4-of-13 from beyond the arc. The Rookie of the Year frontrunner also collected five rebounds and dished out 12 assists.

While Clark filled the stat sheet with another all-round performance, the former Iowa standout’s trouble with turnovers persisted. The one-time WNBA All-Star turned the ball over a whopping nine times.

After the game, the Fever rookie admitted to making a lot of unforced turnovers but also indirectly criticized the officials for calling a backcourt violation on one of her plays during the game.

“A lot of them definitely were unforced, like dribbling off the leg or a backcourt violation, which was not a backcourt violation, you all saw it. I don’t understand, I don’t know but it’s not a backcourt violation,” Clark told reporters after the game.

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Clark was referrimg to a moment with 2:11 left in the first half when she dribbled the ball across the half-court line and quickly delivered a short pass to NaLyssa Smith. In an attempt to avoid a violation, Smith leaped over the half court line.

However, despite Smith’s efforts, the referee blew the whistle, and Indiana was called for an over-and-back violation.

Caitlin Clark’s turnover problem
Caitlin Clark leads the league in turnovers and is committing 5.7 turnovers per game. The rookie has a assist to turnover ratio of 1.50. Overall, the former Iowa standout has recorded 306 assists and a whopping 204 turnovers in 36 games this season.

The rookie has played four games in September and averages 7.5 turnovers per game in this stretch.

“I felt like one turnover turned into two turnovers and that was the problem for us,” said Clark. “Sometimes it would just play right into their hands like the ones that weren’t forced and was out doing. Those are the ones you really have eliminate.”
“If you try to create a play and it’s a good turnover…we still don’t want it but at least that gives us the chance to get back and play defense. I think that was the area we cleaned up. The ones in the second half…they didn’t score a bunch from them…a lot better in that area in the second half,” the rookie added.
Clark will hope to tighten her game and maintain more discipline while leading her team’s defense. Although the Fever won against the Dream despite her nine turnovers, stronger teams are likely to capitalize on such errors, especially in the playoffs.