Caitlin Clark gets 2nd career triple-double as Fever top Sparks
Rookie Caitlin Clark collected 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for her second career triple-double, lifting the Indiana Fever to a 93-86 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday in Indianapolis.
Clark sank four 3-pointers and added three steals on a day in which she was named the WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month for August and the league’s rookie of the month.
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Aliyah Boston recorded 24 points and 14 rebounds and Kelsey Mitchell added 18 points for the Fever (18-16), who shot 49.3 percent from the floor to extend their winning streak to a season-high five games.
Sixth-place Indiana, which has won 10 of its past 11 home games, moved a full game ahead of the idle Phoenix Mercury in the standings.
Odyssey Sims scored 20 points and Rae Burrell and Dearica Hamby added 16 apiece for the Sparks (7-26), who have lost five in a row on the road and fell to 2-15 away from home on the season.
Sims’ basket in the paint trimmed Indiana’s lead to 84-81 with 3:17 left in the fourth. She then answered three free throws by Indiana with a three-point play with 1:51 remaining.
Lexie Hull, however, reeled in an offensive rebound and sank two free throws with 55.6 seconds left for the Fever. Boston added a driving layup to put the game out of reach.
Burrell sank a 3-pointer to pull Los Angeles within one at 69-68 early in the fourth quarter before Indiana ignited a 7-0 run. Boston sandwiched layups around Clark’s 3-pointer.
Sims’ driving layup gave Los Angeles a 55-53 lead early in the third quarter before Indiana responded with a flourish. Mitchell made a layup before Clark drained a 3-pointer and stole a pass before finishing with an uncontested layup to give the Fever a five-point advantage.
Clark answered Kia Nurse’s 3-pointer with one of her own to push Indiana’s lead to 69-64 with 1:22 remaining in the third quarter.
Los Angeles took advantage of 11 turnovers by Indiana to seize a 48-47 lead at halftime. The Fever remained hot on the Sparks’ heels by claiming a 22-13 edge in rebounds.
