Video Credit: Indiana Fever
Caitlin Clark scored 32 points and Kelsey Mitchell added 28 as the Indiana Fever beat the Seattle Storm 105-95 on Tuesday night at Climate Pledge Arena.
Clark shot 9-of-14 from the floor with four 3-pointers, made all 10 of her free throws, and handed out 7 assists. It was the ninth 30-point game of her career and her fourth this season, tied with Mitchell and Breanna Stewart for third most in the WNBA this year. Clark sits one behind Tamika Catchings (10) for the second most 30-point games in franchise history.
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Tuesday also marked the ninth game of Clark’s career with at least 30 points and 5 assists. Every other player in Fever history has eight combined.
Indiana improved to 18-10 with its fourth straight win.
Aliyah Boston took a hard fall in the second quarter and left with a lower-leg injury. She finished with 11 points and did not return. Boston was not ruled out.
Fever coach Stephanie White was asked afterward for an update.
“No update other than it wasn’t really worth the risk for us in the second half. We wanted to be very conservative and make sure she’s good to go,” White said. “As for our team, they came together. They were talking through things during the timeout. I think our communication before we even get into the coaches’ huddle has been really, really good. They’re holding each other accountable, lifting each other up, talking about being there for AB, and recognizing that everybody had to do just a little bit more.”
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Indiana led 37-20 after the first quarter. Sophie Cunningham scored 11 points in the period, hitting three 3-pointers, and did not make another the rest of the night. The Fever’s 37 points are tied for the third most in a quarter in franchise history, three short of the record of 40.
Seattle trailed 58-47 at halftime.
Awa Fam hit a 3-pointer to pull the Storm within 65-63 in the third quarter. Clark scored 16 of Indiana’s 18 points in the period, and the Fever carried a 76-72 lead into the fourth. Mitchell hit two straight 3-pointers in the opening 1:25 of the quarter for an 85-76 lead, and Indiana stayed in front the rest of the way.
Mitchell scored 18 points in the fourth, the second-highest single-quarter total in franchise history behind the 19 she scored against Connecticut on May 20, 2022.
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She has now scored 20 or more in 12 consecutive games, a franchise record and the third-longest streak in league history. Mitchell is tied there with Arike Ogunbowale and Breanna Stewart, one game behind Diana Taurasi. Her four 3-pointers pushed her past 75 in a season for the fifth time in her career, tied for the second most in WNBA history, and extended her league record for consecutive games with at least three 3-pointers to 12.
Mitchell was asked whether she felt herself heating up after her first 3-pointer of the fourth quarter.
“No. I just stayed confident. My job is to not give up. My job is to stay resilient,” Mitchell said. “My job is to always be confident and be ready for the next shot, and I think that’s what you guys saw.”
Monique Billings finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds for her second double-double of the season. Indiana went 26-of-26 from the free throw line, one short of the league record for most makes without a miss.
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The win was Indiana’s 12th game of 100 or more points this season, a WNBA record. Las Vegas set the previous mark of 11 in 2023 and needed 40 games; the Fever have played 28. Tuesday was also Indiana’s fourth straight 100-point game, another league record, and completed a season sweep of Seattle.
Natisha Hiedeman scored a career-high 33 points on 11-of-20 shooting with six 3-pointers, adding a team-high 6 rebounds and 4 assists. One of those rebounds was the 500th of her career. Hiedeman scored 18 of her points in the second half on 5-of-10 shooting, including 4-of-6 from three.
Storm coach Sonia Raman was asked about Hiedeman’s scoring this season.
“As long as we create space for T to operate, she’s going to be effective,” Raman said. “When we space the floor well, re-space with purpose, and execute our actions correctly, she’s a really difficult cover. She’s an excellent shooter, which opens up her mid-range game and allows her to attack downhill.”
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Flau’jae Johnson added 16 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals, becoming the first rookie this season to reach 400 points and 150 rebounds. Fam had 11 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and a block. Zia Cooke scored 10 points on 2-of-3 shooting from three, her ninth game this season in double figures.
Seattle turned the ball over five times, its fewest in a game this year. The Storm outscored Indiana 40-36 in the paint, 14-6 on second-chance points, and 10-8 on the break, and outrebounded the Fever 13-6 in the third quarter.
Raman was asked what stood out defensively.
“It started in the first quarter with our transition defense,” Raman said. “Sophie Cunningham got open for uncontested threes in transition. She hit three three-pointers in the first quarter, and although she didn’t make another one after that, those shots really hurt us early. Giving up 37 points in the opening quarter put us behind.”
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Seattle fell to 6-24 and has lost seven straight.
Indiana plays at the Portland Fire on Friday. Seattle opens a four-game road trip at the Atlanta Dream the same day, with the game broadcast nationally on ION.
