In a thrilling showdown at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever rallied to secure an 88-82 victory over Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury. The game, dubbed “The GOAT vs. The Rook,” featured the 42-year-old Taurasi, a three-time WNBA champion and five-time Olympic gold medalist, against the 22-year-old rookie Clark, who was playing in Phoenix for the first time.
Despite battling a migraine and facing intense defensive pressure from the Mercury, Clark delivered an impressive performance. She finished with 15 points, 12 assists, and 9 rebounds, falling just one rebound short of what would have been the first triple-double by a WNBA rookie. The Fever’s fans, who made up a significant portion of the sellout crowd of 17,071, were treated to a memorable game.
Clark, who did not attend the postgame news conference due to not feeling well, spoke briefly to ESPN’s Christine Williamson on the court. “I’m just happy we won,” Clark said. “It was cool to play against [Taurasi], and obviously a really great game. This crowd was absolutely incredible.”
Taurasi, the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer, praised Clark after the game. “It’s amazing what Caitlin’s been able to do in her short career so far,” Taurasi said. “The one thing that I really love about her, she loves the game. You can tell she’s put the work in. … It’s been a lot of pressure, a lot of things thrown at her, and she keeps showing up and keeps getting better every single game.”
Taurasi, who scored 19 points along with 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals, acknowledged the challenges Clark has faced in her rookie season. “Her future is super bright, and being a veteran and being in this league for a long, long time, it is pretty cool to see that and go into the future,” Taurasi added.
The Fever’s victory was a testament to their resilience. Despite trailing 17-4 at the start, being down by 11 at halftime, and facing a 15-point deficit in the second half, they managed to turn the game around. The Fever won the rebounding battle 42-28, led by forward NaLyssa Smith’s 15 boards. Centers Aliyah Boston (17 points) and Temi Fagbenle (10), forward Smith (12), and guard Kelsey Mitchell (16) joined Clark in double-digit scoring.
Clark’s shooting was not at its best, as she went 4-of-14 from the field and 2-of-10 from three-point range. However, her passing was crucial to the Fever’s success. The game saw six different Mercury defenders trying to contain Clark, but her playmaking ability shone through.
The game was not without its heated moments. The teams combined for five technical fouls and two flagrant fouls. Despite the Mercury’s veteran status, the Fever maintained their composure. “We continue to tell each other, ‘We’re good, stay here, pay attention to what we have to do,'” forward Aliyah Boston said. “Use that as energy for us, not as a distraction, not worrying about if they’re going to foul us hard or not. Every night it’s going to be a battle, so we have to be ready for it.”
This victory marked the first time since 2022 that the Fever rallied from a 15-point deficit to win. After a rough start to the season with a 1-8 record in May, the Fever improved to 7-4 in June. Indiana, which hasn’t made the playoffs since 2016, is now in a position to potentially break that streak.
Taurasi acknowledged the Fever’s progress. “That’s a team that for the last couple years [has been] trying to get back to their glory days of Tamika Catchings and putting up a banner,” she said. “I think what [Clark is] doing for that team right now is pretty impressive.”
The Fever’s coach, Christie Sides, expressed pride in her team’s performance. “When the challenges came, we stepped up and we attacked them head-on. I couldn’t be more proud of my entire team,” Sides said.
Clark played all but 33 seconds of the game despite not feeling well, showcasing her determination and resilience. The Fever’s balanced scoring and strong rebounding were key factors in their victory.
Brittney Griner led the Mercury with 24 points, while Natasha Cloud added 15 points and seven assists. Kahleah Copper, who entered the game averaging 22.7 points per game, was held to just seven points on 3-of-15 shooting before fouling out in the final seconds. Copper had the primary responsibility of guarding Clark.
The game saw the Fever outscoring the Mercury 19-3 in the final 3:30 to secure the win. Kelsey Mitchell’s basket with 35 seconds left gave Indiana the lead for good, and she sealed the victory with two free throws with 12.9 seconds remaining. Mitchell scored all 16 of her points in the second half.
The Mercury started strong, jumping to an 8-0 lead and holding a 49-38 advantage at halftime. However, the Fever’s 17-0 run in the third quarter turned the tide. Indiana led by as many as 10 points in the third quarter, but Phoenix closed the gap to 67-64 by the end of the period.
The game featured two skirmishes during the first half, both during dead ball situations. Griner was assessed a technical foul in the first quarter, and another altercation occurred later, resulting in technical fouls for two players from each team. In the final minute of the half, Smith was charged with a flagrant-1 foul against Taurasi, and Cloud later received a flagrant-1 for a foul against Katie Lou Samuelson.
The Fever will continue their road trip with a game against the Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday, while the Mercury will host the Connecticut Sun on Monday.
Source: ESPN, AP News
