Source: Justin Casterline / Getty
INDIANAPOLIS — After having been beaten twice in a row by Las Vegas earlier in the week, the Indiana Fever were eager to end their home slate of games for the 2024 season on a high note.
It took every bit of the 40 allotted minutes of their match-up with the Dallas Wings, but Indiana was able to barely hold on to a 110-109 victory.
“We could have executed a little better, had a few turnovers, but we made plays when we needed to,” said Caitlin Clark.
It was yet another slow start for Indiana as they allowed the Wings to get out to a 21-10 lead midway through the 1st quarter. The Wings were the definition of team play in that opening quarter as each of their starting five would score.
Natasha Howard and Arike Ogunbowale in particular were totally in sync as they bolstered the Wings to a 32-26 lead at the end of the opening quarter.
Clark’s three, one of six she would make throughout the game, to open the second quarter would be the beginning of a slow and steady grind back to the lead, which they would not attain until the 3:31 mark of the quarter thanks to Kelsey Mitchell’s timely three-pointer.
Both teams see-sawed the lead to the end of the half with Dallas going to the locker room with a 59-57 advantage.
The third quarter brought no relief to the tension of the game as neither side gained any meaningful separation until there was 3:40 left to play as Sevgi Uzun hit a tough three giving the Wings a 78-73 lead. Appearing on the ropes yet again, Mitchell’s fast-break pace and the free throw shooting ability of Clark and Lexie Hull gave the Fever the lead again to close the 3rd quarter 84-83.
Clark’s foul shots were due to a flagrant foul called on Kalani Brown.
Ogunbowale put the Wings on her shoulders, no pun intended, in the closing minutes of the 4th quarter as the Fever held a slim through all throughout. She led a small run inside the final two minutes to cut the Fever lead to two with a three-pointer, but it would be Indiana’s Aliyah Boston who put the game out of reach hitting two free throws with a meager second left on the clock.
Satou Sabally hit a last-second three-pointer for the Wings but it was not enough to negate Indiana’s four-point lead at that juncture. Final score 110-109.
Caitlin Clark was simply sensational throughout as she came home with a new career-high 35 points. Kelsey Mitchell added 30 of her own. She also broke the WNBA’s rookie single-season scoring record.
“Once you see the ball go through the basket, it just works,” Clark said. “Our defense could have been better, but I thought we played well. I’m proud of this group and I hope we can bring the playoffs back for the fans as well.”
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With the victory, Indiana’s regular season slate of home games has come to an end, but it is not the end of Fever ball inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse as they await to see who they will be facing in the WNBA Playoffs.
Speaking of the playoffs, today’s victory all but assures them of the 6-seed, and can shore that seed up with a win on the road to close the regular season against the Washington Mystics this Thursday.
The post Clark Drops 35, Fever Overcome Slow Start In Win Over Dallas appeared first on WIBC 93.1 FM .
The post Clark Drops 35, Fever Overcome Slow Start In Win Over Dallas appeared first on 93.5 / 107.5 The Fan .
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