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CHICAGO — Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark had to get an air ball in. That’s what she said, reclining in her chair and grinning at teammate Kelsey Mitchell after their 100-81 blowout win over the Chicago Sky. The duo combined for 54 points, with Clark posting her new career-best 31.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Clark heaved from 26 feet out. Even that distance didn’t seem right: she was three steps in front of the logo. It didn’t touch rim, which doesn’t happen often for the rookie. The Sky's 6-foot-7 rookie, Kamilla Cardoso, contested the shot, so that didn’t help either. While walking back up the floor, it looked like Cardoso said something to Clark about it.
It could have been about Cardoso’s height, and good luck to Clark trying to make it over her. The Fever rookie later laughed at herself while waiting for the next play, then turned around and pointed upward. It looked like it was aimed at the scoreboard on the side wall. That would be an appropriate comeback to Cardoso. The Fever led by 25 points. Their largest lead Friday was 27.
“I think it was a fan,” Clark said on whether it was the board. “I was just having fun with a fan. Nothing to do with Kamilla. I love Kamilla. Kamilla’s awesome. But yeah, I just launched one for fun. It was kind of a bomb. It was a good airball. Had to get a good air ball in there before I left.”
“You guys pray for me,” Mitchell joked to reporters, standing up to leave.
Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell continue to break records in win streak
Clark became the only player in WNBA history to reach 30-points and 12-plus assists in any game. Clark is the first rookie since Arike Ogunbowale in 2019 to have three-plus 30-point games. Clark posted her third game with 25 points and 10 assists — the most in any season. Sabrina Ionescu is the lone challenger, having five total in her career, per ESPN Stats & Info.
Oh, and Clark now has the most 10-plus assist games by any rookie in league history.
The list goes on and on.
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Meanwhile, Mitchell hasn’t been able to stop scoring. In Wednesday's historic win over the Connecticut Sun, the veteran set the Fever franchise record for consecutive 20-point games with five. She got to six Friday night in Wintrust Arena, leading the team with 18 first-half points after the Fever trailed by 13 points already five minutes in. They played like themselves then on.
“Get them off the glass and then run,” Mitchell said. “That focus maintained throughout.”
Bench unit comes through, Fever chasing heights not seen in years
The storyline in the win over the Sun on Wednesday night was the number of contributing pieces for Indiana. That’s what teams need to do over the best in the league. Those players gave an identical effort Friday night. For context, backup forward Temi Fagbenle only scored three points and once more, put up the best +/- on the team — even over Clark’s well-rounded performance.
Lexie Hull continued to cash in open 3-pointers, with Clark’s on-court gravity. Damiris Dantas and Erica Wheeler provided another go-around of minutes for starters to rest. They held the line — the line that starter NaLyssa Smith created in the third quarter. Smith scored two baskets on Angel Reese and was fouled on both. Smith had 11 points in the best third quarter this season.
The last time at Chicago in late-June, the Fever let their 15-point lead slip in the 88-87 loss.
Friday’s third quarter ensured that wouldn’t happen twice.
“In moments like this before, we would panic,” Sides said of trailing by 13 points. “We would lose our composure and poise, and it would kinda snowball on us. Then we would finally get it figured out and by that time it was too late… we always talk about stopping the bleeding… and so many people are stepping up… some good minutes for these bench players.”
The once 1-8 Fever are now 17-17 and in sixth place. They've won the season series over the Phoenix Mercury, Sky, and Atlanta Dream — the three teams behind them in order. The young Fever have gotten battered on the season by elite teams, but they’ve done their due diligence to get tiebreakers over foes fighting for the final spots. And now, the wait time to clinch is dwindling by the day.
Their record is .500 or better, in August or later, for the first time since 2016.
Yep, when Clark was 14 years old.
