INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Caitlin Clark had the first triple-double by a rookie in WNBA history to help Indiana to an 83-78 victory over New York on Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, snapping the Fever’s nine-game losing streak to the Liberty.
Clark finished with 19 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds for Indiana (9-13). The No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft was one rebound away from a triple-double two games ago in an 88-82 road win over the Phoenix Mercury.
“It’s really cool, obviously,” Clark said. “My teammates have been finishing the ball really well. My assist numbers are because of them.”
Indiana coach Christie Sides was impressed with Clark and the Fever’s 12-point outscoring of Liberty in the final period.
“Caitlin with a triple-double, my God, that’s unbelievable,” she said after the game. “To hold New York to 16 points in the fourth quarter, that’s huge for us. They’re the No. 1 team in the league.”
Clark scored 11 points in the first quarter, hitting 3 of 4 three-pointers. She topped 10 assists in the third quarter and topped 10 rebounds in the fourth.
Clark scored a three-pointer and Kelsey Mitchell followed with a three-pointer to tie the score at 75 with 2:31 left. Aliyah Boston scored on a Mitchell steal to give Indiana a two-point lead and Lexie Hull’s reverse layup increased the lead to 79-75 with 1:24 left.
New York’s Sabrina Ionescu answered with a 3-pointer but missed a shot on the next turn with a chance to give the Liberty the lead. Boston made two free throws with 17 seconds left and Mitchell made two with 11 seconds left to close out the game.
New York made just 10 of 42 three-point attempts.
“We defended well the whole game,” Boston said. “These last few minutes, especially these last few possessions, have been great for us.”
Boston scored 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds for the Fever. Mitchell scored 14 points, topping double digits for the ninth straight game. NaLyssa Smith, the second overall pick in the 2022 draft, added 12 points and 11 rebounds for her fifth double-double this season.
Ionescu scored 22 points to lead New York (17-4), which had won five straight games. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton finished with 20 points, including four 3-pointers. Breanna Stewart added 14 points, six rebounds and six assists. Jonquel Jones had 12 rebounds, six points and three steals.
Clark hit a three-pointer and followed with a layup to propel Indiana to an 8-0 run to start the game. She turned a steal into a three-pointer to give the Fever their largest lead at 24-12 with 3:04 left in the quarter. Laney-Hamilton hit a shot with two seconds left as New York scored the final six points to pull within six heading into the second period.
Clark’s layup gave the Fever a 31-20 lead with 7:48 left in the second quarter. Jones scored the final five points in a 12-0 run from there and the Liberty took its first lead. Smith answered with a layup to end a scoring drought that lasted 5:06 and Indiana regained the lead.
Stewart, who averaged 22.7 points in his previous three wins this season against the Fever, made two free throws in the final minute to pull New York within 39-38 at halftime.
Laney-Hamilton hit a game-tying shot and Ionescu followed with a basket and a three-pointer off a steal by Stewart to give New York a 57-50 lead with 4:39 left in the third quarter. Laney-Hamilton hit a pull-up jumper with three seconds left and Liberty took a 62-55 advantage late in the final period.
Clark noted that the Fever learn not to buckle under pressure when things don’t go their way.
“I think the biggest difference was that when teams stepped up, we didn’t fall apart,” Clark said. “We found a way to stay resilient and close the gap.”
New York coach Sandy Brondello wasn’t happy with the Liberty’s early mentality.
“I don’t think we came out with the urgency to compete. They’re 6-4 in their last 10 games. They played better late in games than we did.”
Indiana beat New York for the first time since winning 92-86 on the road on May 13, 2022. The Fever lead the all-time series 50-41.
FOLLOWING
Liberty: Stay on the road to face the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday.
Fever: Host the Washington Mystics on Wednesday.
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