Caitlin Clark scores 29 as Fever fend off Mercury

The Indiana Fever’s first victory over the Phoenix Mercury this season, on June 30, is the sport that rookie Caitlin Clark believes was a turning level for her staff. A 3rd win Friday over the Mercury — 98-89 as Indiana performed its first recreation because the Olympic break — accomplished a season sweep and moved the Fever nearer to a long-awaited playoff spot.

Indiana has 13 regular-season video games to go and is in seventh place, a recreation forward of eight-place Chicago and three in entrance of ninth-place Atlanta. The highest eight groups make the WNBA playoffs, which Indiana hasn’t finished since 2016.

After a tricky schedule contributed to a 1-8 begin, Indiana is now 12-15, and Clark continues to make WNBA historical past. With 29 factors — one off her season excessive — 10 assists and 5 rebounds Friday, she grew to become the primary WNBA rookie to have a number of video games of no less than 25 factors/10 assists/5 rebounds. It was her second such recreation this season.

Clark had a WNBA report 19 assists within the Fever’s final recreation earlier than the break, on July 17. With 10 assists Friday, her complete of 29 is the second highest by a WNBA participant in any two-game span behind the New York Liberty’s Courtney Vandersloot, who had 30 in a two-game stretch in 2020 whereas with the Sky.

“I’ve at all times been in a position to perceive the court docket properly and see one thing occur earlier than it occurs,” Clark stated when requested about how shortly her playmaking abilities translated from school to the WNBA. “However I feel it is simply been growing the chemistry with my teammates, the place they will see it and be on the identical web page. It is having that chemistry that is unstated.”

Clark had 10 assists within the WNBA All-Star Sport, contributing to Crew WNBA’s 117-109 victory over the U.S. nationwide staff on July 20. After some trip time, she returned to exercises with the Fever and was wanting to play once more Friday.

So have been her teammates, together with veteran guard Kelsey Mitchell, who had 28 factors and mixed with Clark to hit 10 3-pointers. Mitchell, the No. 2 draft choose in 2018, is in her seventh season with the Fever and finally in an actual playoff chase.

“I feel we got here out with loads of vitality,” Clark stated of the Fever, who have been up 33-16 after the primary quarter and 54-37 at halftime however noticed Phoenix catch up within the third quarter. “They are a actually good staff. They don’t seem to be going to go away. We allow them to go on a run, however then we responded. I am actually pleased with us. We simply stored battling and preventing.”

Kahleah Copper, who with Mercury teammates Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi received Olympic gold with Crew USA in Paris, led Phoenix with 32 factors.

“I feel one among our largest wins of the season was our first win at Phoenix,” Clark stated of the 88-82 victory through which she completed one rebound shy of a triple-double. “That actually form of boosted us into how we’re taking part in basketball proper now. We now have loads of respect for the way they play the sport and the way gifted they’re, and I feel that gave us confidence.”

The Fever additionally received 95-86 over the Mercury on July 12. Clark has had no less than 15 factors and 10 assists in all three video games in opposition to the Mercury, the primary participant in WNBA historical past to hit these totals in three consecutive video games in opposition to the identical opponent.

With 223 assists this season, Clark is three shy of breaking the rookie season report of 225 set by Ticha Penicheiro in 1998.

“This being such a younger staff … simply because the season goes, they begin recognizing issues with one another,” Fever coach Christie Sides stated of how Clark had clicked together with her teammates. “It is simply these guys attending to know one another and belief one another.”