Who won the Fever vs. Mercury game today? Caitlin Clark nearly records triple double in win vs. Diana Taurasi

The Caitlin Clark vs. Diana Taurasi game lived up to expectations, but it was the rookie who won the duel.

Clark nearly made history — again — as she was one rebound shy of a triple-double. It would've been the first triple-double recorded by a WNBA rookie in history. She tallied 15 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds in an 88-82 win on Sunday.

Taurasi was no slouch either. The veteran scored 19 points to go along with three rebounds, three assists and three steals. The two stars embraced before their long-awaited matchup.

Clark said before the game that playing against Taurasi is "almost like a dream come true."

The Fever clawed their way back into the game in the third quarter, outscoring the Mercury 29-15. Clark's passing was a big reason for the team's success despite her 4-of-14 shooting.

Aliyah Boston scored 17 and Kelsey Mitchell had 16 points, including a couple of clutch buckets late in the fourth. Brittney Griner led all scorers with 24 points on 8-of-13 shooting.

The Fever improve to 8-12 on the season while the Mercury fall to 9-9.

The Sporting News tracked live updates, highlights, and stats from Clark's first matchup with Taurasi.

MORE: Watch Fever vs. Sun live with Sling TV

Fever vs. Sun score

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Caitlin Clark stats

• Points : 15
• Rebounds : 9
• Assists : 12
• Steals : 0
• Blocks : 0
• Turnovers : 6
• FGs : 4-14

Diana Taurasi stats

• Points : 19
• Rebounds : 3
• Assists : 3
• Steals : 3
• Blocks : 0
• Turnovers : 5
• FGs : 5-14

Caitlin Clark vs. Diana Taurasi results, updates highlights

All times Eastern.

Final: Fever 88, Mercury 82

5:28 p.m.: Taurasi misses her 3-point shot and Wallace splits her free throws. Fever win 88-82 as Clark just barely misses out on becoming the first WNBA rookie to record a triple-double.

5:25 p.m.: Oh no, Griner dribbles the ball off Cloud's foot and turns it over. Mitchell is going to the free throw line with 12.9 seconds. She makes both as Fever lead 87-82.

5:23 p.m.: Clark hits both free throws to make it an 85-82 game. Mercury calls timeout with 19.9 seconds remaining.

5:21 p.m.: Fever get a stop but haven't gotten the ball past half court yet. Indiana calls a second timeout to reset the ball and advance it.

5:20 p.m.: Mitchell hits another elbow jumper to give the Fever the lead.

5:17 p.m.: Samuelson misses an open 3-pointer at the shot clock buzzer. Smith grabs an offensive rebound, but Taurasi rips it from her and draws a foul. She puts the Mercury up 82-81 with 41.5 seconds left.

5:16 p.m.: Back to the line for the Mercury. Griner draws a foul as soon as she catches it in the post. She splits her pair of foul shots. Game is tied 81-81.

5:15 p.m.: And-1! Mitchell nails the jumper as she's fouled. She converts the free throw as the Fever retake the lead at 81-80 with 1:22 remaining.

5:13 p.m.: Clark splits her free throws and ties the game at 78-78 with 1:49 to play.

5:11 p.m.: Cloud picks up a flagrant foul, which gives the Fever a chance to tie the game with 2:17 remaining. Samuelson makes both free throws and gets possession after.

5:07 p.m.: Phoenix is on an 8-0 run in the last 3:30. Mercury lead 76-69 with under four minutes to play.

5:03 p.m.: Griner and-1 on the post hook. Mercury are attempting to pull away late in this one.

4:59 p.m.: Cunningham nails a 3-pointer to give the Mercury a 71-69 lead with 5:55 remaining.

4:58 p.m.: Boston picks up her fifth foul with 6:43 remaining in the game. Fever lead 69-68.

4:53 p.m.: Mercury take the lead with a 4-0 to start the fourth quarter.

End of third quarter: Fever 67, Mercury 64

4:43 p.m.: The Fever nearly had a perfect quarter, but the Mercury have been clawing back in the final two minutes. What was once a 10-point lead is now just three.

4:39 p.m.: Wow, the Fever can't miss right now. Smith knocks down a corner triple to increase the lead to 63-55.

4:38 p.m.: Griner is back in the game after a big Fever run with her off the court.

4:36 p.m.: Big 3-pointer from Mitchell as the Fever take their first lead of the day. She follows it up with another 3-ball as Indiana leads 60-55 with three minutes to play in the third.

4:31 p.m.: Clark hits a logo 3-pointer and then finds Wallace on the backdoor cut as the Fever trail 55-50 with 5:27 remaining in the third quarter.

4:30 p.m.: Griner is holding her knee on the bench after taking an awkward fall.

4:29 p.m.: Lead is down to single digits after Mitchell nails a 3-pointer. Mercury lead 53-45 with about six minutes to play in the third quarter.

4:27 p.m.: That Clark-Boston pick and roll is fluid, but it was Smith who came soaring in for an offensive rebound to salvage the miss.

Halftime: Mercury 49, Fever 38

4:05 p.m.: Smith picks up a flagrant foul on Taurasi. Lot of reviews and stoppages here in the first half.

4:02 p.m.: Phoenix has retaken a larger lead at 47-38 with about a minute remaining in the half.

4 p.m.: Clark can't get an inch of room with Copper guarding on ball. It's been tough for the rookie as she has five turnovers so far.

3:48 p.m.: Clark has already set a franchise rookie record for assists with 129. It's been just 20 games.

3:46 p.m.: Another scuffle on the court, this one as teams were huddling right next to each other during a dead ball. The teams picked up two technical fouls each, which offset — no free throws.

3:40 p.m.: And-1! Clark converts the three-point play to cut the lead to 31-30 midway through the second quarter.

3:38 p.m.: Here's a look at some of the defenses that Clark has faced during today's game. Lots of pressure in the full and half court.

3:36 p.m.: Woah, it's a bit chippy here as Griner pushed Boston during a dead ball. Griner picks up a technical foul as a result.

3:34 p.m.: The Fever are starting to figure it out a bit more after a tough start to the game. They trail 31-26 early in the second quarter.

End of first quarter: Mercury 26, Fever 20

3:24 p.m.: Clark has been finding Boston much more often in the past few games, and it's showing in the latter half of the first quarter.

3:22 p.m.: Oh no, Clark just crossed Allen bad but airballed the 3-point shot. Nearly a crazy highlight play.

3:18 p.m.: There it is. Clark knocks down a deep triple and finds Boston in transition the next possession. That's a 7-0 run for the Fever as they trail 17-11.

3:17 p.m.: Taurasi is playing in her 20th WNBA season this year and has played more total games than the entire Indiana starting lineup.

3:16 p.m.: Yikes, Clark picks up an offensive foul, which is her second personal of the game.

3:11 p.m.: Clark is struggling with Copper guarding her. The rookie is 0-for-2 with two turnovers and one foul. She can't get any wiggle room with or without the ball. Mercury lead 14-2 just four minutes into the game.

3:08 p.m.: Taurasi scores first in the veteran-rookie matchup. Mercury lead 8-0.

3:06 p.m.: Copper is guarding Clark to start the game. She gets a quick stop into a transition 3-pointer.

3:05 p.m.: Griner draws a foul on Boston immediately and splits the free throws.

2:57 p.m.: Clark said earlier that her game against Taurasi is "almost like a dream come true." It's almost time for that dream to start.

2:44 p.m.: Phoenix is ready for a big crowd in the first Taurasi vs. Clark game.

2:09 p.m.: Just an hour before tip-off in Phoenix as Diana Taurasi and Caitlin Clark meet for the first time in the WNBA.

Fever vs. Mercury start time

• Date : Sunday, June 30
• Time : 3 p.m. ET

Caitlin Clark visits Diana Taurasi for the first time as the Mercury host the Fever at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 30.

How to watch Fever vs. Mercury

• TV channel : ESPN
• Live stream : Sling

Indiana-Connecticut will be broadcast on ESPN2 in the U.S. and TSN 5 in Canada.

Those who prefer streaming can watch the game on Sling .

Caitlin Clark WNBA schedule

Here's a look at the upcoming Fever schedule and where to watch each game: