Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever kept things rolling on Sunday with a 100-93 victory over the Dallas Wings to move to 17-16 on the season and solidify their hold on the No. 6 seed. They've now won four games in a row, which is their longest winning streak since 2015, and are 6-1 post-Olympic break, which is the best record in the league in that span.
After a competitive first half, the Wings opened up a nine-point lead in the third quarter, but the Fever offered a quick response. Kelsey Mitchell and Clark, who have been playing at an exception level lately, scored the next 14 points for the Fever to make it a four-point game heading into the fourth.
From there, it was all Fever. Again, Mitchell and Clark led the way, as the Fever outscored the Wings 30-19 in the final frame to pull away down the stretch. The Fever's All-Star backcourt combined for 64 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists in yet another impressive win for this young team.
Here are some key takeaways from the game:
Fever's best season in nearly a decade continues
The Fever have long been the laughing stock of the league. From 2017-2023, they went 58-174 with zero playoff appearances, and finished in last place three times. The only season during that stretch where they didn't lose at least 20 games was in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season that was only 22 games long.
They are no longer a joke.
Thanks to Caitlin Clark's arrival, they are enjoying their best season in nearly a decade:
- Their 17 are their most since 2016, and they have seven games remaining, six of which will come at home. The first 20-win season since 2015 is well within reach.
- They are now six games up on the ninth-place Atlanta Dream, and are closing in on their first playoff appearance since 2016.
- They are above .500 for the first time since they were 4-3 on June 13, 2019.
- Their four-game winning streak is their longest since they won six in a row in 2015.
- They've scored 100 points in back-to-back games for the first time in franchise history
The Fever aren't just going to make the playoffs this season, they are going to be a real threat thanks to their elite offense.
Mitchell and Clark can't be stopped
It took some time for Kelsey Mitchell and No. 1 overall pick Caitlin Clark to figure out how to play with one another, and now that they have, the rest of the league is in trouble. The dynamic duo has been running riot since the season restarted after the Olympics, and dominated once again on Sunday.
Mitchell had a season-high 36 points, six rebounds and three assists on 12-of-22 from the field for her seventh consecutive 20-point game, which is a Fever franchise record. Clark, meanwhile, went for 28 points, four rebounds and 12 assists on 10-of-19 shooting for her sixth 20-point, 10-assist game, which is the single-season record. Together, the duo became just the third pair of teammates ever to record at least 25 points and five 3-pointers in the same game.
Here are their numbers post-Olympic break:
- Mitchell: 26.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists on 52.3/46.7/92.0 shooting splits
- Clark: 24.6 points, five rebounds, nine assists on 47.9/38.6/91.7 shooting splits
They are second and third in the league, respectively, in scoring, and Clark leads all players in assists during this 6-1 stretch. Prior to the Olympics, the Fever had a minus-5.7 net rating with those two on the court. Since play resumed, they are plus-8.0 with that duo out there.
Ogunbowale ties the single-game 3-point record
This has been a record-setting season across the league, and Wings star Arike Ogunbowale got into the mix on Sunday. She made five 3-pointers in the first quarter and finished 9-of-16 from downtown en route to 34 points, eight rebounds and three assists.
Her career-high in makes from behind the arc tied the league's single-game 3-point record.
Player | Team | Season | 3FG Made |
Arike Ogunbowale | Wings | 2024 | 9 (vs. Fever) |
Jewell Loyd | 2023 | 9 (vs. Mystics) | |
Kelsey Mitchell | Fever | 2019 | 9 (vs. Sun) |
Ogunbowale is once again pouring in the points at 22.7 per game, which ranks second in the league behind A'ja Wilson, but she's been less efficient than ever with a career-low field goal percentage of 37.6.