News
Caitlin Clark gets double-double, tensions rise as Fever beat Mercury
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Fever took the WNBA restart by storm, beating the Phoenix Mercury for the third time this season, 98-89 on Friday evening at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Indiana’s win seals the season sweep over the Mercury. The Fever at the moment are 12-15, sitting at seventh within the league standings.
Kelsey Mitchell had a season-high 28 factors for the Fever and Caitlin Clark had 29, with the 2 main a gaggle of 4 Fever gamers who completed in double-figures.
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Listed below are three observations:
Fever storm to early lead
Within the first quarter, the Fever had the benefit. They have been rested, with almost all of their gamers staying stateside in the course of the Olympic break, whereas Phoenix had 4 gamers (all starters) go to Paris for the Olympics.
Considered one of Phoenix’s gamers, Bec Allen, was injured in the course of the Olympic stretch and is out with a hamstring subject. The others — Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner and Kahleah Copper — barely had any time to relaxation or get any additional observe with their group. On prime of that, Phoenix got here into city on the second half of a back-to-back: the Mercury beat the Sky on Thursday evening in Chicago.
So, the Fever used their relaxation to their benefit. They stormed out to a 22-9 lead within the first six minutes, and Clark was unstoppable. She was scoring at will — 13 within the first quarter alone. She accentuated her play with a cross-court dime to Kelsey Mitchell, sufficient in order that Pacers All-Star and gold medalist Tyrese Haliburton, sitting courtside, put his palms on his head in pleasure.
The Fever led by as a lot as 28 within the first half, main 48-20 in the midst of the second quarter.
The Fever wanted all of that lead. Phoenix proceeded to go on a 20-3 run by the tip of the second and begin of the third quarters. At one level within the third, the Mercury even took the lead from the Fever.
Indiana had been on this scenario earlier than, even in opposition to the identical group. Indiana stormed out to a giant lead the final time the 2 groups performed on July 12, and Mercury guard Kahleah Copper almost single-handedly orchestrated a comeback in that recreation. In that recreation, the Fever held on for a nine-point win.
Fever restrict Brittney Griner with foul bother
Possibly probably the most pivotal second of the sport was when Mercury middle Brittney Griner, standing at 6-9, was referred to as for her fifth foul on the 7-minute mark of the fourth quarter. Griner stands 5 inches taller than the Fever’s beginning middle, Aliyah Boston, giving her a bonus on the boards and below the basket.
However the Fever knew how to attract fouls on her, and compelled her to take a seat usually. She picked up her third foul with six minutes left within the first half, forcing Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts to ship her to the bench for a lot of the remainder of the half.
With out Griner’s measurement on the court docket, the Fever had a neater time commanding the boards and getting layups within the paint. By halftime, with Griner solely taking part in 9 minutes, Indiana had a 24-18 benefit on the boards.
When Griner picked up her fifth foul, she wanted to take a seat throughout a pivotal second within the fourth quarter. Indiana went on a 5-2 run throughout that point — it does not appear to be lots, nevertheless it was sufficient for Indiana to get the respiration room it wanted.
Griner ended up taking part in simply 25 minutes and was restricted to 10 factors on 3-of-6 taking pictures.
Kelsey Mitchell, Natasha Cloud have heated second
Tensions have been rising, slowly however absolutely, all through the course of the sport. Mercury guard Diana Taurasi picked up a tech for one thing she stated to the referees after Clark drew a foul on Griner within the first quarter. Later within the recreation, Mercury guard Kahleah Copper exchanged some works with Clark after the Fever rookie fouled her.
All of it culminated in what was almost a benches-clearing spat between Mercury guard Natasha Cloud and Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell. It occurred after Mitchell dedicated an offensive foul on Cloud, and the 2 exchanged some phrases earlier than Mitchell pushed Cloud again into Fever ahead NaLyssa Smith.
Cloud reacted, however Smith broke the 2 up virtually instantly. Fever coach Christie Sides and a few assistants sprinted over from the bench, and Mitchell was nonetheless saying some phrases as she was held again by Smith on the opposite facet of the court docket.
After an intensive evaluation, the refs referred to as offsetting fouls on Mitchell and Cloud. That brings Cloud’s technical whole for the season as much as six — one away from getting a one-game suspension. It was Mitchell’s first technical of the season.
What number of factors did Caitlin Clark rating?
The rookie scored 29 factors in her first recreation again from a month-long break and had a double-double with 10 assists and 5 rebounds.
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