INDIANAPOLIS — With about seven minutes left in the game, Aliyah Boston brought down a two-handed block, grabbed the rebound and kicked the ball out to Erica Wheeler.

Wheeler ran down the court, and Fever rookie Caitlin Clark kept pace. Wheeler lobbed the ball to Clark, who was on the Gainbridge Fieldhouse logo and readied to shoot. She was nearly 33 feet away from the basket.

You know what happened next.

As the ball rippled through the net, putting the Fever in the lead, it seemed all 17,000 fans at a sold-out Gainbridge Fieldhouse jumped up to their feet. Clark, who returned to the game after an ankle injury, yelled in celebration as she was running to the other end of the floor, as the roar continued.

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"We love the energy. We love our fans," Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell said. "We love that we have a player that can take those shots, is capable. When momentum is going in that shift is coming for us, those are good moments to have, and I think it was it was good to hear the crowd scream for us. We've been through a lot, we've been trying to like embrace this role, and now all of our roles are different and I think for us about those different moments kind of help us coming together."

It was, finally, the signature moment Clark and the Fever were looking for. It was the emergence of her logo 3-pointer, the proof she could make those shots no matter what league she's playing in.

The only thing that could've made that moment better for Clark? A win.

Fever-Sun rematch had everything: A Caitlin Clark injury, logo 3, technical and close game

"It was a big shot, and it gave us some momentum, got the crowd going," Clark said. "I mean, our crowd was incredible. I think you could see the progress this team is making, and that's why this one hurts a lot, because we were right there, and we have plenty of opportunities to go win the game, and then you don't and it's just some little things that we do to ourselves."

Monday's 88-84 loss to Connecticut dropped the Fever to 0-4 on the season, but Indiana has shown improvement. In a scheduling quirk, the Fever have already played Connecticut and New York twice -- an no one else.

In the season opener, the Fever lost to the Sun by 21. Then Indiana lost to New York by 36 on May 16.

Two days later the Fever lost to the Liberty by 11, and on Monday, the deficit was four.

That's improvement. And the Fieldhouse crowd showed its appreciation, hoping for greater rewards in the near future.

"I thought our crowd was great," Clark said "They rallied behind us, they give us some great energy, and I hope they continue to come back, because it's gonna be a fun season. You got to remember we played the top teams in the league, and we were right there with the Sun tonight, really had a few opportunities to take lead and, you know, give ourselves a chance."

On paper, the Fever are 0-4. With a schedule like this, that was not unexpected. The Liberty and Sun were both finals-worthy teams last season, with New York knocking out Connecticut in the semifinals. Both of those teams returned their core players this season.

The Fever have only had 22 total days so far to practice and play against these teams, and inserting a rookie at point guard is easier said than done. Along with Katie Lou Samuelson joining the system, the Fever returned three starters — two of which (Boston and NaLyssa Smith) have less than three years of experience in the league.

Clark and the Fever have been essentially put in trial by fire, but they are getting closer. This four-point loss had glimpses of a lockdown defense, especially with backup forward Temi Fagbenle on the floor, and Clark's logo 3 showed how the Fever can capitalize on that defense to gain some momentum.

It just takes time, Clark said, and these games have helped set the bar at a high level.

"We were right there," Clark said "So. I think it's like, you got to keep your head up, but you also have to get a fire within you that is upset, and not okay with losing four straight to open the year, and I think our group has that. But also, there's a sense of you know, this is helping us get better, and there's going to be a time this season where it really shows that these four games we opened the season with, and it's gonna pay off."

Follow IndyStar Fever Insider Chloe Peterson on X at @chloepeterson67.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever have most encouraging game yet despite loss