Rookie Caitlin Clark collected 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for her second career triple-double, lifting the Indiana Fever to a 93-86 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday in Indianapolis.
Clark sank four 3-pointers and added three steals on a day in which she was named the WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month for August and the league’s rookie of the month.
Aliyah Boston recorded 24 points and 14 rebounds and Kelsey Mitchell added 18 points for the Fever (18-16), who shot 49.3 percent from the floor to extend their winning streak to a season-high five games.
Sixth-place Indiana, which has won 10 of its past 11 home games, moved a full game ahead of the idle Phoenix Mercury in the standings.
Odyssey Sims scored 20 points and Rae Burrell and Dearica Hamby added 16 apiece for the Sparks (7-26), who have lost five in a row on the road and fell to 2-15 away from home on the season.
Sims’ basket in the paint trimmed Indiana’s lead to 84-81 with 3:17 left in the fourth. She then answered three free throws by Indiana with a three-point play with 1:51 remaining.
Lexie Hull, however, reeled in an offensive rebound and sank two free throws with 55.6 seconds left for the Fever. Boston added a driving layup to put the game out of reach.
Burrell sank a 3-pointer to pull Los Angeles within one at 69-68 early in the fourth quarter before Indiana ignited a 7-0 run. Boston sandwiched layups around Clark’s 3-pointer.
Sims’ driving layup gave Los Angeles a 55-53 lead early in the third quarter before Indiana responded with a flourish. Mitchell made a layup before Clark drained a 3-pointer and stole a pass before finishing with an uncontested layup to give the Fever a five-point advantage.
Clark answered Kia Nurse’s 3-pointer with one of her own to push Indiana’s lead to 69-64 with 1:22 remaining in the third quarter.
Los Angeles took advantage of 11 turnovers by Indiana to seize a 48-47 lead at halftime. The Fever remained hot on the Sparks’ heels by claiming a 22-13 edge in rebounds.
–Field Level Media