In one of her best games as a rookie, Caitlin Clark finished with a total of 18 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals, helping the Indiana Fever defeat the Washington Mystics for the third straight time.
At Indianapolis’ Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday, the team led by guard Kelsey Mitchell and standout center Aliyah Boston combined for 22 points apiece. The score was 88-81.
Christie Sides, the coach of the Fever, told reporters, “They’re feeling what it should have felt like from the beginning.” “I’m just really proud of them for the fourth home win in a row.”
Never behind, the Fever defeated the Mystics 50.8% to 41.4%. They also had an advantage of up to 11 points and 38-26 in paint points.
The Fever has won five of their past seven games after losing eight of their first nine this season. They will travel for their next five games. The Mystics had lost their previous twelve games, but they had won two straight coming into Wednesday.
As of right now, the Fever (6-10) are ranked eighth in the WNBA rankings. At the completion of the season, the top eight clubs secure berths in the WNBA playoffs.
“I think everybody just loves instant satisfaction in our world,” Clark said, when asked about criticism the Fever faced earlier this season. “No one came in here and said we were going to be WNBA champions from Day 1, in our locker room. That was never our goal.
“Our goal was to get back to the playoffs and we’re fighting for that every single night. This is the first time we’ve won four home games in a row since 2015.”
Clark, who made 6 of 12 shots, was 2 of 6 from 3-point range and 4 of 4 from the free throw line. The rookie guard also had six turnovers.
Boston and Mitchell scored six points apiece in the first quarter, while Clark added four, to help the Fever outscore their foes 21-17 through the first 10 minutes.
Mystics guard Karlie Samuelson scored eight in the second, when the Mystics outscored the Fever 26-25. The Fever led 46-43 at halftime. Boston totaled 10 in the third while Mitchell chipped in seven in the fourth as the Fever outscored the Mystics 42-38 over the final 20 minutes.
In Atlanta, the Fever (6-10) and Atlanta Dream (6-7) square off at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. At 3 p.m. on Saturday in Washington, D.C., the Dallas Wings (3-10) will take on the Mystics (2-13).
The Fever’s next games are against the Dream and Chicago Sky (4–9). “The next two are versus teams we played in the last week,” Clark stated. “They are certainly going to want some revenge.”
Leave a Reply