re: Terrible decision.Why did van lith start on Clark.Never want a good shooter to start rolli

I went back and looked at Clark’s made 3s.

4 of her threes were on HVL (primary defender)
3 were on Poa (on far fewer possessions)
1 on Angel as a help defender
1 on a 2-on-1 transition where HVL covered the other player who broke free to the hole
11 misses

Of the four threes she hit on HVL, Hailey went over the screen on three of them, maintained tight coverage, and Clark hit a tough shot. Only once did Clark hit a 3 when Hailey just sagged and gave her too much space expecting a drive.

The bigger issue was that no one—not HVL, Poa, or the few Flau’jae attempts—could keep Clark from driving and you can’t double Clark 25 feet from the hole or you’re just begging her to get unlimited assists to the open teammate.

Long story short, the best coach in women’s basketball realized she had to swallow the poison pill and choose the best of multiple bad options. We shouldn’t crush HVL for drawing the short straw against a generational talent.