The Indiana Fever had their first real test in the still young 2025 WNBA season on Saturday. The Fever clashed against the defending champions, the New York Liberty, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, eager to improve to 3-1.

In a highly competitive game, the Liberty escaped Indiana with a 90-88 win over one of the teams expected to challenge them for their championship.

Both teams had their moments, with the Liberty taking the advantage in the first half, 55-46. The Fever bounced back with a 30-13 third quarter, but they couldn't seal the deal in the final period, succumbing to the Liberty 22-12. 

Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu led the way with 26 and 23 points, respectively, while Aliyah Boston responded with 27 points and 13 rebounds for the Fever.

Caitlin Clark added 18 points, five rebounds and 10 assists for the home team. 

Added to their complaints about the referees, Clark identified where her team failed to have a better chance to win this game. After the duel was over, she talked about their struggles to be consistent. 

More specifically, she said that their fourth-quarter performances can be better, but she hopes the team can learn from their mistakes eventually (per Moreau Sports Media).

"Consistency is where can be a lot better...we're waiting for that 4Qs of basketball...there's going to be a learning curve. That's what's got to happen if we want to beat the really really good teams in this league."

This was a big challenge for the Fever, but they couldn't take a statement win against the Liberty. They dropped to 2-2 to start the season, while the Liberty improved to 3-0 to continue their unbeaten run.