The Indiana Fever dominated the Seattle Storm in a high-scoring WNBA match where all of the star players shone through. Kelsey Mitchell led with 27 points, while Caitlin Clark had 23 points and nine assists. Meanwhile, Lexie Hull added a career-high 22 points with 12 in the fourth quarter alone.
One of the game's highlights was Clark breaking the WNBA rookie record for assists. The 232 she has this season are more than the previous record of 224 held by Ticha Penicheiro in 1998. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft has been on a scoring tear, where in her last six games she's averaged 23.7 points on 47% shooting from the field and 11.7 assists. She has been one of the major factors toward the success of the Fever this season with her playmaking abilities.
In an impressive display, Mitchell really had a shooting night to remember as she connected on 10 of 19 from the field and 5 of 8 beyond the arc. Hull was similarly efficient with 8 of 10 shots, including a career-best six 3-pointers on seven attempts. Aliyah Boston cleaned up on the glass with 15 rebounds and added nine points with a career-high eight assists.
The game was close until the Fever pulled away in the fourth quarter. A Jewell Loyd jumper brought the Storm within one, 61-60, with nine minutes remaining. Indiana then responded with a 14-5 run, which included back-to-back 3-pointers from Hull and clutch shooting by Mitchell to take the lead. The Fever had stretched their advantage to 75-65 with less than six minutes to go and didn't look back from there.
Skylar Diggins-Smith did her best to keep the Storm in contention, scoring back-to-back baskets, but Hull kept a hot hand with two more 3-pointers in quick succession. After that, she scored 15 straight points to win the game for the Fever. Clark then hit her 3-pointer to go with an assist on a 3 by Mitchell and another by Damiris Dantas to put the Fever up comfortably, 90-71, with 2:24 left.
The win was a Fever team effort—though some individual performances were instrumental in this victory. Key contributions came from others, including Clark's record-breaking performance, to keep Indiana in the hunt for the playoffs with continued momentum going into the final stretch of the season.
Other WNBA Highlights:
Dream 82, Sun 70
In another thrilling game, the Atlanta Dream went on to secure their second straight win after the hard-fought 82-70 victory over the Connecticut Sun. Tina Charles scored 22 points and pulled down 15 rebounds. Jordin Canada added 19 with 13 in the second half to help the Dream overcome a late deficit.
The problem is, Atlanta, which had struggled before the Olympic break, has now won back-to-back games against two of the top four teams in the WNBA standings. It was the Dream's defense that stepped up during the final minutes of action as they held the Sun to just one field goal in the final four plus minutes of the game.
Aces 87, Sparks 71
A'ja Wilson continued her record-breaking season with 34 points and 13 rebounds Saturday as the Aces posted an 87-71 win over the visiting Los Angeles Sparks. With that, the 6-foot-5 Wilson set a new WNBA record for 20-plus point, 10-plus rebound games in one season with 17, surpassing her own record from a year ago. She has now scored 20 or more points and grabbed 10 or more rebounds in eight straight games, another WNBA record.
Mercury 86, Sky 68
PHOENIX — Diana Taurasi scored 12 of her 23 points in the first quarter Saturday to help the Phoenix Mercury build a lead they never relinquished in an 86-68 win over the Chicago Sky. Sophie Cunningham had her first career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds and Brittney Griner added 18 points.
Angel Reese did have the highlight reel all to herself for the Sky with a career-best 20 rebounds while adding 19 points. This wasn't enough to overcome the quick start from the Mercury and strong finish.
These games were just a representation of the talent and energy that will surely make the WNBA one of the best women's sports leagues in the world. As the season moves on, one can expect more striking match-ups and stand-out performances from the league's top players.
