Caitlin Clark posts double-double, Fever win third straight

Caitlin Clark posts double-double, Fever win third straight

ByABC News

June 20, 2024, 1:19 AM

INDIANAPOLIS -- Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston scored 22 points apiece, Caitlin Clark had her second double-double and the Indiana Fever won their third straight game with an 88-81 victory over the Washington Mystics on Wednesday night.

Clark had 18 points and a career-high 12 rebounds plus six assists and four steals for the Fever (5-10). She also had six turnovers. NaLyssa Smith added 11 points, and Erica Wheeler had nine points off the bench in a big second half.

Indiana, which has won five of seven, has its first four-game winning streak at home since August 2015.

Ariel Atkins had 27 points to lead the Mystics (2-12), who were missing injured starters Brittney Sykes and Shakira Austin. Karlie Samuelson had 16 points, and Stephanie Dolson had 14.

Down nine entering the fourth quarter, Washington started with a 9-2 run, pulling within 70-68 on a three-point play by Emily Engstler with seven minutes to go. Wheeler quickly answered with a jumper, Clark had a steal that led to Wheeler feeding Mitchell for a layup, and then Clark hit a 3 off a Wheeler assist to make it 77-68 with 5:05 left.

Wheeler's pullup at 3:25 pushed the lead to 82-71. Clark's two free throws with 12 seconds remaining wrapped it up.

Indiana never trailed but was never up by more than seven in the first half before settling for a 46-53 lead at the break. The Fever shot 55% in the first half, with Smith, Mitchell and Boston all in double figures.

The Mystics were 0-for-8 from 3-point range in the first quarter but drilled six in the second. They finished with 11 on 34 attempts (32%).

It was more of the same in the third quarter until Boston hit a rare and late 3-pointer -- her fourth of the season -- that pushed the lead to nine. The Fever, who had 10 free throws in the first half, had 11 in the third quarter, helping them to a 68-59 lead.