Michael Voepel, ESPN.com
The Indiana Fever’s first win this season against the Phoenix Mercury on June 30 was the game that freshman Caitlin Clark considers a turning point for her team. A third win Friday against the Mercury — 98-89 in Indiana’s first game since the Olympic break — completed a season sweep and moved the Fever closer to a long-awaited playoff spot.
Indiana has 13 games left in the regular season. But the Fever are in seventh place, one game ahead of eighth-place Chicago and three ahead of ninth-place Atlanta. The top eight teams qualify for the WNBA playoffs, something Indiana hasn’t done since 2016.
After a tough schedule that contributed to a 1-8 start to the season, Indiana is now 12-15 and Clark continues to make WNBA history. With 29 points (one shy of her season high), 10 assists and five rebounds on Friday, she became the first WNBA rookie to have multiple games of at least 25 points/10 assists/5 rebounds. It was her second such game this season.
Clark set a WNBA record with 19 assists in the Fever’s final game before the hiatus on July 17. With 10 assists Friday, her total of 29 is the second-most by a WNBA player over a two-game stretch. It’s second only to Courtney Vandersloot of the New York Liberty, who had 30 over a two-game stretch in 2020 while with the Sky.
“I’ve always been able to read the court and see something happening before it happens,” Clark said when asked how quickly her point guard skills transferred from college to the WNBA. “But I think it’s just developing that chemistry with my teammates, where they can see it and be on the same page. It’s that chemistry that’s not expressed.”
Clark had 10 assists in the WNBA All-Star Game, helping the WNBA team win 117-109 over the U.S. national team on July 20. After a vacation, she returned to practice with the Fever and was eager to play again Friday.
Her teammates were also on top form, including veteran Kelsey Mitchell, who scored 28 points and teamed with Clark to make 10 three-pointers. Mitchell, the second overall pick in the 2018 draft, is in her seventh season with the Fever and is finally in a real playoff race.
“I thought we showed a lot of energy,” Clark said of the Fever, who led 33-16 after the first quarter and 54-37 at halftime but saw Phoenix come back in the third quarter. “They’re a really good team, they’re not going to go away. We let them have a run, but we responded. I’m really proud of us. We kept fighting and fighting.”
Kahleah Copper, who along with Mercury teammates Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi won Olympic gold with Team USA in Paris, led Phoenix with 32 points.
“I think one of our biggest wins of the season was our first win in Phoenix,” Clark said of the 88-82 victory in which she finished one rebound shy of a triple-double. “It really gave us some encouragement in the way we’re playing basketball right now. We have a lot of respect for the way they play basketball and the talent they have, and I think that gave us confidence.”
The Fever also won 95-86 against Phoenix on July 12. Clark scored at least 15 points and had 10 assists in all three games against the Mercury, becoming the first player in WNBA history to reach those totals in three consecutive games against the same opponent.
With 223 assists this season, Clark is just three points away from breaking the record of 225 assists for a rookie season set by Ticha Penicheiro in 1998.
“They’re a very young team … as the season goes on, they’re starting to recognize each other,” Fever coach Christie Sides said of how Clark has bonded with her teammates. “They’re just guys getting to know each other and trusting each other.”
