Caitlin Clark helps push Fever over .500, snapping record streak
Caitlin Clark scored the game’s highest score of 28 points with 12 assists to aid to help the Fever outscore the Wings and move Indiana beyond .500 at the start of five seasons.
Sep 1, 2024, 07:40 PM ET
ARLINGTON, Texas — Caitlin Clark scored 12 assists and 28 points in a win by 100-93 against the Dallas Wings on Sunday. The win led the Indiana Fever over .500 for the first time in five years.
The Fever who improved their record to 17-16 following the win and had played an WNBA record consecutive 189 games with no winning record, as per Elias Sports Bureau. Elias Sports Bureau.
Indiana was able to win despite a record-setting nine 3-pointer from Arike Ogunbowale who shot 9-for-16 in long rangebeating her previous highest of seven 3sscoring 34 points.
The All-Star Game MVP missed two attempts at a record 10-th 3-pointer, one of which came that left the Wings being trailing by six points in the closing minutes.
Ogunbowale who set the record for career bests with eight rebounds. He also matched the record of 3s in the league set by Kelsey Mitchell (2019) and Seattle’s Jewell Loyd (2023).
“I salute people like Arike because off the court, we’re really great friends,” Fever guard Mitchell told reporters. “We tend to work out and train together in the offseason. I wasn’t expecting any other way coming from a person like that.”
Mitchell recorded 36 points and hit a three which gave the Fever the lead by four points with just 1:58 left. Clark and Mitchell scored five 3s each together, going 10-of-18. The Fever shot 50 percent from long range, and 53 percent overall.
“When you have two guards that are both making plays, it puts the other team in the tough position of what to take away, who to put on who,” Clark stated. “We’re definitely shooting it well. We’re playing off each other well. We’re looking for each other, and we’re getting downhill, too. I think it’s been a good balance of everything.”
Clark was finishing off a career high of 31 points in a victory against fellow Rookie of Year contestant Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky.
Clark recorded the WNBA record by assisting 19 times during her first trip to Texas during the game prior to the Olympic break the game was which ended in a 101-93 Indiana defeat when the Fever were at the fringe of the playoff race.
In the present, Indiana is solidly in the playoff race, whereas The Wings (9-23) remain looking to bounce back from an unsteady start caused by a number of injuries. Dallas has was crowned the champion of its first playoff series in the past, is just two games away from a final playoff spot, with just eight remaining.
The Fever are 6-1 since the Olympic break, with three of those wins on the road. They will play six home games in a row beginning on Wednesday against the final-place Los Angeles Sparks ahead of the season’s final at Washington.
“They’ve laid it out in the open. We’re constantly talking about emptying our tanks,” Indiana coach Christie Sides stated. “The faith that they’re having, I’m extremely proud for the games on the road. These road matches have proven hard. We keep talking about momentum, and keep our feet on the gas.”
After scoring her eighth 3-pointer during the 3rd quarter of play, Ogunbowale penalized because she did not give Mitchell the chance to land on a 3-pointer.
The Wings played a game and lost the game, which resulted in Ogunbowale receiving an technical foul. They Fever recorded five points in that game and cut their deficit down to 67-64, after Dallas had seized its largest lead of 64-55 just two minutes prior.
Mitchell made two free throws following her decisive three in the final seconds as her team Fever scored eight points in a row to lead 99-91 with 39 seconds to go.
Satou Sabally scored 25 points while Natasha Howard had 18 points and nine assists for the Wings. NaLyssa Smith scored 14 points and 8 rebound for Indiana.
Associated Press contributed to this report.