Caitlin Clark and the Fever make a comeback from 15 points down to defeat Mercury 88-82
Despite shooting just 28.5% from the field, Caitlin Clark was instrumental in leading the Indiana Fever to a thrilling comeback victory over the Phoenix Mercury, finishing just one rebound shy of a triple-double. Clark’s performance, though not her best in terms of shooting, was pivotal in the Fever’s 88-82 win.
Clark struggled with her shooting, going 4 of 14 from the field and 2 of 10 from beyond the arc. However, she made two crucial free throws with 19.9 seconds left on the clock, putting the Fever up by three points. This capped off a remarkable comeback for Indiana, who had trailed by as many as 15 points in the first half.
Kelsey Mitchell also played a significant role in the Fever’s victory. Her basket with 35 seconds remaining gave Indiana the lead for good. She then sealed the win by making two free throws with 12.9 seconds to go, finishing the game with 16 points, all scored in the second half.
Aliyah Boston contributed 17 points and eight rebounds, while NaLyssa Smith added 12 points and 15 rebounds for the Fever. Temi Fagbenle chipped in with 10 points. The Fever closed out June with a 7-4 record, a significant improvement after going 1-8 in May.
“When the challenges came, we stepped up and we attacked them head-on. I couldn’t be more proud of my entire team,” said Fever coach Christie Sides. She also noted that Clark played all but 33 seconds of the game despite not feeling well.
On the other side, Brittney Griner led the Mercury with 24 points, while Diana Taurasi added 19 points and Natasha Cloud scored 15. Kahleah Copper, who was third in the WNBA in scoring at 22.7 points per game, had a tough night, scoring just seven points on 3-of-15 shooting before fouling out in the final seconds. Copper was primarily responsible for guarding Clark throughout the game.
This game marked the first on-court meeting between Taurasi and Clark. Taurasi, the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer, is in her 20th season and was a student at Connecticut when Clark was born. Before the game, Clark mentioned that Taurasi was one of her idols growing up.
When Clark was drafted No. 1 overall after a stellar career at Iowa, Taurasi commented, “Reality is coming,” referring to the challenging transition to professional basketball. After the game, Taurasi praised Clark, saying, “It’s amazing to see what Caitlin has done, and the one thing I really love about her is she loves the game. She’s put the work in, and there’s been a lot of things thrown at her, and she keeps getting better every single game. Her future is super bright.”
The Mercury started strong, jumping to an 8-0 lead and holding a 49-38 advantage at halftime, with Griner and Taurasi each scoring 13 points. However, the Fever responded with a 17-0 run in the third quarter, taking a lead of up to 10 points. Phoenix managed to close the gap, ending the third quarter trailing 67-64.
“We were emphasizing, get out and run, move the ball and get some good shots,” said Boston. Taurasi acknowledged that the Mercury may have settled too much and got stagnant in the second half, allowing the Fever to run faster and execute better.
The game also saw some physical play, with two skirmishes occurring during dead-ball situations. Griner received a technical foul in the first quarter, and another altercation later in the game resulted in technical fouls for Fagbenle and Erica Wheeler of the Fever, and Copper and Cloud of the Mercury.
In the final minute of the first half, Smith was charged with a flagrant-1 foul against Taurasi. Later, Cloud received a flagrant-1 for a foul against Katie Lou Samuelson, who made both free throws to cut the deficit to 78-77 with 2:17 remaining.
The Mercury will host the Connecticut Sun on Monday, while the Fever will conclude their five-game road trip against the Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday.
Source: Associated Press
