INDIANAPOLIS — Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston scored 22 points apiece, Caitlin Clark had her second career double-double and the Indiana Fever won their third-straight game with an 88-81 victory over the Washington Mystics on Wednesday night.
Clark had 18 points and a career-high 12 rebounds plus six assists and four steals for the Fever (5-10). She also had six turnovers.
NaLyssa Smith added 11 points and Erica Wheeler had nine points off the bench in a big second half.
Indiana, which has won five of seven has its first four-game winning streak at home since August of 2015.
Caitlin Clark had 18 points and 12 rebounds in the Fever’s win over the Mystics on Wednesday night.Getty Images
Ariel Atkins had 27 points to lead the Mystics (2-12), who were missing injured starters Brittney Sykes and Shakira Austin. Karlie Samuelson had 16 points and Stephanie Dolson 14.
Down nine entering the fourth quarter, Washington started with a 9-2 run, pulling within 70-68 on a three-point play by Emily Engstler with seven minutes to go.
Wheeler quickly answered with a jumper, Clark had a steal that led to Wheeler feeding Mitchell for a layup and then Clark hit a 3 off a Wheeler assist to make it 77-68 with 5:05 left.
Aaliyah Edwards of the Washington Mystics drives against Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever on Wednesday.Getty ImagesWheeler’s pullup at 3:25 pushed the lead to 82-71. Clark’s two free throws with 12 seconds remaining wrapped it up.
Indiana never trailed but was never up by more than seven in the first half before settling for a 46-53 lead at the break.
The Fever shot 55 percent and Smith, Mitchell and Boston were all in double figures with Clark adding nine with eight rebounds.
Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell rushes up the court against Washington Mystics guard Karlie Samuelson.Brett Phelps/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
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Atkins had 15 and Samuelson 13 for the Mystics, who were 0 for 8 from 3-point range in the first quarter and then drilled six in the second. They finished with 11 on 34 attempts (32%).
It was more of the same in the third quarter until Boston hit a rare and late 3-pointer — her fourth of the season — that pushed the lead to nine. The Fever, who had 10 free throws in the first half, had 11 in the third quarter, helping them to a 68-59 lead.
HOT NEWS:
CAITLIN CLARK AT THE CENTER OF WNBA FOUL CONTROVERSY AGAIN AS FANS SLAM ‘JOKE’ OFFICIALS OVER CALL IN FEVER WIN
Caitlin Clark at the center of WNBA foul controversy AGAIN as fans slam ‘joke’ officials over call in Fever win.
Caitlin Clark suffered another brutal attack on the court Wednesday night when a 235-pound rival nearly smacked her in the head.
It comes amid increased concerns for the Indiana Fever rookie’s safety following a spate of incidents involving Chicago Sky players Angel Reese and Chennedy Carter.
Some figures, including Bill Maher and Clay Travis, have even claimed that Clark – who is at the forefront of the WNBA‘s unprecedented skyrocketing popularity – is being targeted because she’s white and straight.
The first overall draft pick led the the Fever to their third consecutive victory when they beat the Washington Mystic 88-81, however a seemingly obvious foul that would have landed Clark on the free throw line was missed by the refs.
The 22-year-old, who finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, and four steals, was about to attempt a layup when the Mystic’s 6ft5in center Stefanie Dolson knocked the ball out of her hands.
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Caitlin Clark was attempting a layup when Stefanie Dolson knocked the ball out of her hands
Watch moment Mystics center Dolson smacks Caitlin Clark’s arm
‘How is this not a foul for Caitlin Clark???’ one fan captioned a clip of the incident on X.
‘Look at this #wnba your officiating is a joke,’ another chimed in.
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‘As a new watcher of the @WNBA it seems they have a severe refereeing problem. I think even @WWE refs would have caught this one,’ a third viewer quipped.
‘Badly missed call by wnba officials; this happens too often, to many players,’ another wrote, while someone else echoed the sentiment, ‘Officiating in wnba is terrible, actually it sucks.’
Clark and the Fever were hit hard by critics after the team lost its first five games of the season, however the Iowa alum slammed those demanding ‘instant satisfaction’ from her.
‘No one came in here and said we were going to be WNBA Champions from day No 1 in our locker room,’ Clark said after the game Wednesday.
‘That was never our goal. Our goal was to get back to the playoffs and we’re fighting for that every single night. This is the first time we’ve won four home games in a row since 2015,’ she added.
‘You have to have perspective on things, and that goes for life too. Like have perspective on life. And there just needs to be solid perspective on what this team can accomplish.’
It’s been a tough rookie season for the former college superstar, who’s been the victim of particularly rough treatment from other players in the league.
Most recently, her longtime rival Angel Reese committed a flagrant foul against her during the Fever’s last meeting with the Chicago Sky.
Reese missed a block and smacked Clark on the head while she was jumping for the basket. Although it was an obvious foul, the LSU alum later threw shade at Clark, claiming the Fever received a ‘special whistle.’
It came a couple of weeks after Reese’s Sky teammate, Chennedy Carter, brutally hip-checked Clark.
Using her own bodyweight, Carter knocked the rookie to the ground as she stood waiting for the inbound during the third quarter.
The Chicago player seemingly yelling ‘you b***h’ at the 22-year-old, and remarkably managed to escape with a personal foul, which was later upgraded to a flagrant-1 violation.
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WNBA fans weren’t happy with officials who failed to call a seemingly obvious foul
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Clark finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds and six assists during the Fever’s 88-81 win
Clark’s fierce rivalry with Reese, and her teammates by proxy, has propelled WNBA viewership to never-before-seen heights.
The Fever’s 91-83 victory over the Sky on Sunday was the league’s most-watched game in more than two decades.
The highly-anticipated matchup averaged 2.25 million viewers, a 225% increase over most regular season games last season.
Viewership peaked at 3 million households, making the showdown the most highly-viewed game in 23 years.
The skyrocketing popularity of the sport, most of which has come on the back of Clark’s rising star, is leading some to use her name to to spread racism and misogyny.
Connecticut Sun player DiJonai Carrington is among those who have called out Clark for her silence in a ‘culture war.’
‘Dawg. How one can not be bothered by their name being used to justify racism, bigotry, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia & the intersectionalities of them all is nuts. We all see the s***. We all have a platform. We all have a voice & they all hold weight. Silence is a luxury,’ she tweeted earlier this month.
However, Clark pushed back on that narrative.
‘People should not be using my name for those agendas. It’s disappointing. It’s not acceptable,’ Clark said.
HOT NEWS:
CAITLIN CLARK HEADLINES MOST-WATCHED WNBA GAME IN MORE THAN 20 YEARS
Fever defeated the Sky 91-83 on Sunday.
The Caitlin Clark effect is showing no si gns of slowing down.
The Indiana Fever rookie put up a team-high of 23 points and nine assists in Sunday’s win over the Chicago Sky in what was the most-watched WNBA game on any network in 23 years.
Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever and Angel Reese #5 of the Chicago Sky look on during a game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 16, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
An average of 2.25 million people tuned to CBS to watch the rematch between Clark and Chicago’s Angel Reese. The Fever’s 91-83 victory peaked at nearly 3 million viewers.
Clark’s big night, which featured Reese being assessed a flagrant-1 foul for hitting the former Iowa star in the head with her arm, followed a rough contest against Atlanta in which the No. 1 pick had seven points, six assists and seven turnovers.
But despite the expected growing pains of her first year in the pros, fans are continuing to tune in and show up to watch Clark.
Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever warms up before a game against the Chicago Sky at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 16, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images).
Earlier this month, the WNBA announced that May marked the highest attended opening month in 26 years and the most-watched start of the season ever across every network.
This unprecedented growth in viewership and attendance this season has much to do with this year’s rookie class. According to the league, “four of the five moments that drove the most engagement on social channels” included highlights of Clark, Reese, Cameron Brink of the Los Angeles Sparks, or Las Vegas Aces’ Kate Martin.
“What’s happening now in women’s basketball is confirmation of what we’ve always known: The demand is there, and women’s sports is a valuable investment,” Chief Growth Officer Colie Edison said in a statement last week.
“We’re encouraged by growing engagement across all our verticals, especially as we welcome new and diverse audiences into our fandom. The WNBA continues to experience sustained growth as our league embraces this heightened momentum.”
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