Caitlin Clark issues brutal four-word wake up call to Indiana Fever teammates after humiliating defeat

Caitlin Clark offered a brutal verdict of her team's performance on Wednesday after they were blown out in her return to the court.

The Fever suffered an 80-61 loss to the Valkyries at home as Clark returned from a groin issue which had sidelined her for five games since June 24.

And the reigning Rookie of the Year played below her best as she finished with 10 points, five rebounds and six assists in 25 minutes of action.

Overall, it was a poor performance from Indiana, who shot just 30.9 percent from the field - and Clark underlined that fact after the game.

She told reporters that 'nobody played well today' as she analyzed her team's disappointing performance.

'I thought we played with energy in the first five minutes, and then when they kind of went on their first run, it deflated us a little bit, which I'm not really sure why,' Clark told reporters, via Indy Star.

'But the offense, I think for us, it starts on defense, and we struggled scouting report wise, we struggled personnel. We struggled to do what the coaches asked of us. And then overall, they just played with more energy and effort. Those are the things that just can't happen. It's every single person on our team. Nobody played well today.'

Clark, who has played just 10 of the Fever's 19 games this season due to quad and groin injuries, shot just 4-of-12 from the field on Wednesday and committed four turnovers.

While she remains hugely popular among fans, as she was voted an All-Star Game captain among Napheesa Collier, Clark's numbers have slipped in her sophomore season.

She's shooting just 30.1 percent from three-point range - down from 34.4 percent last year - and averaging 17.4 points (down from 19.2 last year) after Wednesday's loss.

Clark still managed to place third in the media All-Star vote among guards, though her fellow players ranked her just ninth among guards in their vote.

And even frequent Clark defender Skip Bayless couldn't fault her peers for ranking her that low.

'To be completely fair, if other players took a close look at JUST CAITLIN CLARK'S ON-COURT PRODUCTION so far this season, I can see where they voted her as the 9th-best guard,' he wrote on X.

Clark will look to build some momentum in the Fever's next three games before suiting up in the All-Star Game on July 19.