This is a joke! - ESPN reacts to Caitlin Clark breaks WNBA rookie 3-point record as Fever escape Sun

fans are happy about that Liberty facing the LA Sparks Ria Jackson what a season she's having her rookie year she will get Brianna Stewart with the fake for the bucket underneath Jackson continuing to put on a clinic offensively in the first half of this game she sinks the three late 15 points in the first half making get her 11th game with 15 or more points third quarter now liberty down two Sabrina ycu coming up with a big three with the Liberty in the lead by one the very next play Jackson answers with a three of her own Sparks back in front they end the third quarter with the lead 6763 onto the fourth Liberty is down five Brianna Stewart driving on deer hamy and the pain gets the bucket Stewie 32 Points 11 of 19 from the field and then Ray barell left alone don't do that she had 18 points Sparks up nine and then Stephanie talber to Deer hamy gets the tough Bucket over Stuart hamy friend of the program finished the game with 21 points six boards five assists three Steals and the Sparks stun Liberty lynx and Phoenix to take all in the Mercury Minnesota entered on a six-game win streak the League's best run currently they won all five games since the Olympic Break by double digits early third quarter they're up nine Courtney Williams to mafisa ker for three got it ker 12 points eight rebounds five assists link score up 12 later in the third they get it to Kayla McBride who was three for seven from Three Links up four minutes left in the third off the inbounds ker to McBride McBride 19 to lead Minnesota nice pass to set her up there lyns take a 17-point lead just over two minutes left in the third down links up 21 Williams pulling up and knocking it down they went up 19 heading into the fourth just over 6 minutes to go to 15-point lead now McBride to Atlanta Smith to ker for the layup and foul KY would make the free throw put the links up 18 and then Williams 16 points five assist lyns six straight double digit win seven in a row overall they held Phoenix to 38% shooting the for more let's welcome in the Hall of fam of Rebecca Lobo Rebecca Minnesota on quite a run seven in a row now what's fueling this hot streak for them this is a Minnesota links team that is playing the best basketball in the league since the Olympic break they're the best defensive team in the league right now have been all season long and they've really found their flow on the offensive end as well the fisa Collier is having a terrific season averaging 20 and 10 but even in a night like tonight where her numbers aren't quite what they typically are the rest of the team can simply score they share the basketball they lead the league and assists per game and they can really shoot it from the perimeter they have three of the top five Shooters in terms of three-point field goal percentage in the league so this is a team that has it all and they're clicking on all the right s ERS right now they go to Dallas Friday looking to try to make it8 in a row meanwhile the fever have won four of five since the break Kelsey Mitchell's playing well Caitlyn Clark setting records aah boss is contributing Lexi Hall how dangerous a team is Indiana I think they're quite dangerous actually which is a pretty amazing thing to say considering how this Indiana Fever team started the season but they're coming off a game tonight where they beat the Connecticut Sun a team that really dismantled them in their first game of the season this is an Indiana Fever team that I think right now the conversation is no longer are they going to make the playoffs I think it's fair to have a conversation can they win a first round playoff game and depending on who that matchup is if the season ended right now it would be the Connecticut Sun I think this is an Indiana Fever team that could find their way not only into the playoffs but could find their way into the semi-finals they're playing that well right now and they go to Chicago Friday Angel Ree and Caitlyn Clark once again that's always fun as is having you on the program Rebecca we appreciate it thank you let's talk WNBA on a night the Indiana Fever get an impressive win as well HQ WNBA analyst Takira Carter is with us and Takira uh fever first time they beat the connectic and sudden in four tries and what more can you say about Caitlyn Clark she already has the rookie assist record on this night she claims the three-point mark for a single season for rookie this is a team that went from one and eight to start the season they're 14 and8 over their last 22 can you kind of pinpoint what her impact has been on this team and her year one of the league it's been remarkable um similar to what Kelsey Mitchell said postgame we've had the time to develop the chemistry with one another and it's been a work in progress every day but it's the buyin portion that has been impressive for the Indiana Fever because a lot of times when teams don't have chemistry one or two things are going to happen they're going to answer the call or they're going to fold right now the Indiana Fever are answering the call and we're even hearing them being called the team to beat um they're on the up and up and Caitlin Clark has been a huge piece of that Dynamic the game has slowed down for her a lot compared to the first couple months of her rookie year where y uh I think she was just trying to find her footing her pacing what it means to be a WNBA player where I got to get that ball moving and now she's breaking records left and right she surpassed Ryan Howard to become the number one rookie with over 86 three-pointers made uh which is just impressive so she does a little bit of everything from Distributing The Rock to also making sure she's picking her spots to score as well and I think that's made all the difference when it comes to finding a balance for what the fever do yeah she's she's grown accustomed to the physicality of the pro game if you will and also that scoring record is Within Reach last nine games of the regular season as well but again I mentioned the fact that they're only a half game out of six overall in the league now behind the Phoenix Mercury uh this a team that again beats Connecticut for the first time in four tries um where are they in your mind with regards to where they stack up with playoff contenders having won 14 of the last 22 honestly with the way that the Phoenix Mercury have been playing the Indiana Fever truly do have an opportunity to take over that six spot and if I'm them I'm trying to climb as high as I can so I don't get a match up against that one or two seed uh in the first round you can see them potentially take a early exit so with Phoenix uh their next game is is going to be up against Vegas and then we just saw them go um the Atlanta Dream they came down to the wire against the Seattle Storm Phoenix is going to have to play them too on Tuesday so Phoenix the road ahead isn't easy for them and I think the road ahead for the Indiana Fever it actually is starting to ease up a bit and so they had the bulk of the tough competition earlier on in May and June and now that they're settled in and they're playing these teams three and four times they're figuring them out a little bit and it shows in their dynamic as a squad and no question they've come together as a team you know you're talking about the top of the League the New York Liberty lose to the LA Sports they come off a loss as well recently to Connecticut and then you have Vegas which Asia Wilson scores 42 and it comes in a loss and they've kind of been scuttling of late and those are your finalists from a season ago your level of concern for the two finalist is higher for which team I'm not too concerned about the New York Liberty and I say that because they go into these gauntlets with an unhealthy roster jqu Jones didn't play tonight and I still think that's no excuse to lose to the LA Sparks they're dead last in the standings however they were missing 15 points per game and nine rebounds per game in their lineup they look sluggish they look you know a little slow but Nigel Lany Hamilton she's just now coming back into the fold of things she's one of their best defenders and another X Factor when it comes to scoring she's just returning from a knee injury and so when completely healthy the the Liberty they're dominant I'm not concerned about them only six losses and with the season winding down they've already clinched their playoff spot you rather it come now than they get into the playoffs and they you know they messing around I'm more concerned about Vegas they don't look as polished as a team as we saw when they went back to back uh there there's something missing there in the fold where Asia Wilson yeah she's capable of scoring 42 obviously we saw that but it hasn't been coming easy for her because it seems as though her teammates haven't been in a solid Rhythm so there's something going on within that Vegas uh I would say offense really I don't think defensively they have much problems where they have to figure out okay how do we F get back to us as a team whether that's Chelsea Gray scoring the ball a little bit more Kelsey Plum it's not moving enough for me it's not sticking and I think they they concern me a little bit more than the New York Liberty for sure that makes sense right now as we speak they'd be the road team they wouldn't have home court in the opening round of the playoffs though the Seattle Storm would Seattle coming off a late win on at this night they are fourth overall in the league when you stack up these playoff contenders are home court in the opening round where do you see Seattle with regards to fighting for a title uh I'm going be honest here about Seattle their consistency that is of concern to me because they're in dog fights night in and night out and so when they can reach the point where they're getting wins and it's like oh this is convincing they're coming out and they're there Splat out smacking teams they have the talent they have the roster and to me they have the dep to win it but what I want to see more is how do we put together four quarters of play to show that we can be that title Contender team so I don't put them in regards to up there with uh the likes of a Minnesota links or the New York Liberty quite yet but I think tonight is a step in the right direction for them to show that uh the grittiness and how they can gut out wins against an Atlanta Dream team who is also on the up and up they're one spot away from getting that eighth seed if the Chicago Sky can't get their act together who have lost four straight yeah I think there's no doubt that Minnesota has shown that they are the Best of the West she's Ty Carter HQ WNBA analyst Ty we appreciate the Insight thanks this is what it looks like with regards to notable tips from the WNBA on CBS Sports Network you get the fever against the Sparks who come off that win over the Liberty on Wednesday and the wings and Liberty back at it on Tuesday Aces and Sun followed by the Sparks again getting the Phoenix Mercury and again as we mentioned the Mercury just one half game up on the fever for that six spot overall in the league come on look for he for [Music] I look I [Music] you foree spee back wa said you keep get the one that for now overd right [Music] spe foreign spee speee e e