Down two points with 53 seconds left in Sunday’s matchup with the Chicago Sky, the Indiana Fever had plenty of chances to put the ball in the hands of their best player.

But instead of feeding Caitlin Clark, who had a double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds, it was NaLyssa Smith, Aliyah Boston and Kristy Wallace who got off shot attempts in the closing seconds as the Fever fell 88-87 — their first loss to the Sky this season.

In fact, Clark didn’t have a shot attempt in the final two minutes and 19 seconds of the game, prompting many to question the game planning of Fever head coach Christie Sides after the team blew a 15-point lead. Former QB-turned-analyst Robert Griffin III was among those people, and he went off on the Fever after the game for not turning Clark loose when they needed points.

Jun 23, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Indiana Fever head coach Christie Sides talks with guard Caitlin Clark (22) during the second half of a basketball game against the Chicago Sky at Wintrust Arena.

Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

“They were down by two, then three, then they were down by four, and everybody but Caitlin Clark was taking shots,” Griffin III said in a video posted to X. “Everybody but Caitlin Clark was getting plays called for them. I don’t care if she’s getting triple-teamed, quadruple-teamed, Caitlin Clark should take the last shot — that is why she is there.

“She is one of the most lethal 3-point shooters on the face of the earth. She was built for moments like that. And it’s coaching malpractice if you don’t get her to take at least one shot with under one minute to go in the game, and if you can’t see that, then you just don’t know ball.”

Sides doubled down after the game, telling reporters she never wants Clark to not be aggressive in taking shots but also stated because she had 13 assists in the game, she felt Clark distributing the ball gave the Fever the best opportunity to find an open scorer.