Caitlin Clark racked up 23 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, Aliyah Boston added 19 points and 14 rebounds, and the Indiana Fever fended off the Chicago Sky 91-83 on Sunday afternoon in Indianapolis.
Clark shot 7-for-11 from the field with three 3-pointers as the Fever (5-10) won back-to-back games for the first time this season. Kelsey Mitchell tallied 17 points and NaLyssa Smith scored 15.
Marina Mabrey had a team-high 22 points and Chennedy Carter scored 18 in her first start of the season for the Sky (4-9), who lost their fourth in a row and their second to Indiana this month. Rookies Angel Reese (11 points, 13 rebounds) and Kamilla Cardoso (10 points, 10 rebounds) had double-doubles; Cardoso’s marked the first of her pro career.
The game featured 11 ties and nine lead changes. The Fever outshot the Sky 56.5 percent to 40.7 percent but committed 16 turnovers compared to five for Chicago.
Late in the third quarter, Reese hit Clark in the head while trying to block her layup. The common foul was upgraded to a flagrant 1, and Clark made both free throws. The review was significant after Carter hip-checked Clark to the ground the last time these teams played June 1. That foul was not upgraded to a flagrant until the day after.
The Fever led 68-66 to start the fourth quarter, and Reese picked up her fifth personal foul with 8:08 to go and subbed out.
A little more than two minutes later, Clark blocked a 3-point attempt by Mabrey and fed Boston for a layup at the other end to make the score 79-73 with 5:36 to go. It was one of four assists Clark had in the quarter, including a slick pass to Boston for a shot clock-beating hook shot with 1:07 to go. Chicago drew no closer than three points the rest of the way.
Isabelle Harrison made a bucket and foul shot for a 26-23 Sky lead after one quarter.
The Fever fought out of a five-point hole in the second quarter and went ahead 35-32 on Mitchell’s transition 3-pointer. Reese answered with an old-fashioned three-point play.
Clark heated up at the end of the second. She hit a rolling Boston for a layup, then made a reverse layup to put the Fever up 44-42 with 26 seconds left. After one made Chicago free throw, Clark assisted Katie Lou Samuelson, who made her third 3-pointer of the game for a four-point halftime lead.
–Field Level Media