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INDIANAPOLIS — Los Angeles Sparks 6-foot-7 center Li Yueru tried for the step-through layup over Indiana Fever center Temi Fagbenle. Yueru’s shot was blocked, but not by Fagbenle. She did shape Yueru’s indirect path to the basket, yet it was actually 6-foot rookie guard Caitlin Clark with the block from behind. Clark whipped the ball up the floor, got it back, and hit the 28-footer.
The transition triple trimmed the Fever’s deficit to only four points with 8:50 to go in the second quarter. The Fever were held to 15 first-quarter points, the opposite of their 28 at the reigning WNBA champs Las Vegas Aces Saturday.
Before the Aces, the Fever played the Sparks last Friday and won after being kept to an identical 15 first-quarter points. There was plenty of time.
Plenty of time for the Sparks to catch fire beyond the arc and surge in the second half for the 88-82 revenge victory over the Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse Tuesday night. Clark put up 30 points and three blocks, both career-highs for the WNBA rookie, and added three steals and six assists.
But in the second half, Sparks guards Kia Nurse and Aari McDonald made eight threes.
“People will probably pick on my defense quite a bit,” Clark said afterward. “There’s times where it’s good and there's times where I’m still learning and growing. Like, a couple times where I let Nurse get open for a couple threes. That just can’t happen. But those are situations I'm still trying to learn and grow… the more active I am on defense, it helps me play better offense.”
Nurse and McDonald had vendettas toward the Fever, it seemed like. In Indiana’s 78-73 win over Los Angeles last Friday, guards Nurse, Lexie Brown, and McDonald combined to shoot 0-for-14 beyond the arc.
Clark and Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell weren’t that much better in shooting efficiency, until the fourth quarter when they hit clutch baskets for the win. It was the reverse for the Sparks Tuesday. Nurse and McDonald shot 0-for-2 combined in the first half.
Second half got away from Catilin Clark and the Fever, again
In the second half? Nurse and McDonald were 8-for-9 beyond the arc, combining for 43 points. The onslaught began midway through the third quarter.
Indiana’s 9-0 run out of halftime, which gave the Fever the 43-37 lead, was later countered and negated by the Sparks’ 11-0 run to conclude the quarter, regaining the 59-55 lead for Los Angeles. Clark sat on the bench during that entire run. In the whole second half, Nurse, McDonald, and Rae Burrell rotated with their scoring sprees.
The Fever gave up 29 points in the fourth quarter. Basically, it was like they were in Las Vegas once more with their second-half fatigue, only, the Fever didn’t have the benefit of the 28-point head start in the first quarter. They had two days off in between the Las Vegas and Los Angeles losses from Saturday to Tuesday, but perhaps, that’s not enough rest for the busiest team in the WNBA. The Fever played seven games in 12 days before Tuesday. That turns into eight and 15.
“What we were doing early to them defensively in our schemes, we stopped doing in the second half,” Fever head coach Christie Sides said. “I mean, 60% from the three you don't give yourself a chance… we were going under some of the screens that were supposed to be going over… we were gambling, getting out of position and then late… so just a breakdown of our defense.”
Sparks incredible efficiency
The Sparks were absurdly efficient, shooting 14-for-23 (60.9%) beyond the arc. It’s miserable for the Fever, because pregame, Sides said the team implemented some fresh defensive schemes between Indiana’s matchups with the Sparks Friday to Tuesday.
The practice time was minimal, though at least it was something. Rather, Los Angeles scorched the Fever. Indiana only shot 10-for-30 beyond the arc. Clark and Mitchell hit crucial shots but were once more inefficient.
Clark had seven turnovers to go along with the point milestone. In the game that she set her prior career-high of 22 points, she likewise had another eight turnovers. Three steals and three blocks Tuesday night somewhat offset that, though it can improve.
Meanwhile, forward Aliyah Boston had back-to-back efficient outings versus the Sparks, scoring 17 points on five baskets Tuesday. Boston also shot 2-for-2 beyond the arc, the first two triples for her in 2024, ironically.
“I think it's a little bit of both,” Boston said on the defense. “Sometimes when a team gets hot and they have a little bit of space, they knock it down. And I think that's what LA did tonight. I mean, for the most part, we defended the three-point line. That fourth quarter just got away from us a little bit. They just got open on some of those screens and were able to knock it down.”
The Fever — now 1-7 this season — have another reunion with the Seattle Storm on Thursday.
