The Indiana Fever established their largest lead of the season in a game against the shorthanded Phoenix Mercury on Friday in Indianapolis, narrowly securing a win.
Caitlin Clark guided the Fever to a 95-86 victory over the Mercury, leading by as much as 31 points in the late third quarter. Clark achieved her fifth consecutive double-double, scoring 20 points with a 50% field goal rate and 2-of-7 from three-point range. The top pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft also contributed 13 assists, six rebounds, two blocks, and six turnovers.
“They are obviously short on bodies, so the more we can push the pace, the better,” Clark mentioned.
The Mercury were missing key players like Diana Taurasi, Natasha Cloud, Charisma Osborne, and Sug Sutton due to injuries. Brittney Griner also exited early in the second quarter with a hip injury.
Clark displayed an impressive performance, delivering seven assists in the first seven minutes of the game. Although the Fever had a 20-point lead at halftime and reached a 31-point advantage late in the third quarter, the Mercury came back strong, narrowing the gap to single digits in the fourth quarter.
However, the Fever managed to hold off the comeback, with Kelsey Mitchell sealing the victory with a crucial three-pointer. Mitchell’s stunning performance, along with contributions from Aliyah Boston and NaLyssa Smith, helped the Fever outscore the Mercury in the paint and on rebounds.
With this win, the Fever improved to a 10-14 record for the season, while the Mercury fell to 12-11. Both teams are preparing for the 2024 WNBA All-Star weekend, where key players will face off in competitive matchups.
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