The Indiana Fever defeated the Seattle Storm 92-75 on Sunday thanks to the concerted efforts of WNBA star Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, and Lexi Hull. Clark scored 23 points and dished nine assists, while Mitchell led the team with 27 points. Meanwhile, Hull came off the bench and contributed with 22 points to help lead the Fever to a wall-to-wall victory.
Fever center Aliyah Boston also grabbed 15 boards in the victory.
Pacers forward Obi Toppin was courtside at the game, too, and he had nothing but praise for the Fever trio. However, he saved his highest praise for Mitchell, with an amazing comparison to Warriors star Stephen Curry.
“It was lit today,” Toppin said on an Instagram post shared by the Pacers official account. “Caitlin [Clark] was going crazy. Lexie, Lexie [Hull] was going crazy. She was looking like Steph Curry out there. Kelsey [Mitchell] was going crazy. Yeah, shout out to them. They was doing their thing today, for sure.”
The Fever in the standings
![Seattle Storm center Ezi Magbegor (13) and forward Nneka Ogwumike (3) guard Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) as she passes the ball during the second half of a game Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.](https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Caitlin-Clark-passes-the-ball-through-a-double-team.jpg)
With this victory over the Storm, the Fever climb to a 13-15 record to secure third place in the Eastern conference and seventh in the WNBA. Their 13 wins have already tied their record last season, where they finished at tenth place and did not qualify for the postseason. Now, with only over a month left until the playoffs, the Fever look poised to make a splash on the big stage, especially with their No. 1 picks Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark, who popularized women's basketball thanks in part to her legendary college career.
Moreover, in her rookie WNBA season, Clark simply picked up where she left off. During the Storm game, Clark broke the single-season rookie assists record, her nine assists adding to her 225 for the season, and counting. Former Sacramento Monarchs star Ticha Penicheiro once set the record during her own rookie season in 1998.
These types of performances have most likely made the WNBA Rookie of the Year a lock for Caitlin Clark. She is currently averaging 18 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 8.3 assists, leading her team in points and assists per game. If this play continues, the team has as good a chance as any to sneak into the postseason. They had started the season losing six of their first seven games, too, so they are starting to put things together at the right time.
The WNBA may have also found their newest face, as Clark and Chicago Sky star Angel Reese have drawn ratings for the league. With their rise, the association has never been in a better spot.