Caitlin Clark’s triple-double leads balanced Fever effort in fifth straight win
Clark and Kelsey Mitchell each scored 26 points as six Fever players reached double figures in a 112-98 road win over Portland. They're now 19-10.
It was a late one Friday night, but fans were rewarded for staying up.
The Indiana Fever continued their best stretch of the season, defeating the Portland Fire 112-98 for their season-best fifth consecutive win.
Caitlin Clark led the way with her first triple-double of the season and the fourth of her professional career, finishing with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Her final assist came with 33.8 seconds left, Clark finding Makayla Timpson in a pick-and-roll action.
In the Fever’s first visit to Portland this season, back on May 30, they lost 100-84 and Clark was hampered by foul trouble all game. That kept her to a season-low six points.
Clark beat the buzzer with a 3-pointer to end the first quarter, which put the Fever in front 27-25. She appeared to fouled on the shot, too, but it was not called.
Clark scored the bulk of her points at the foul line, sinking 14 of 17. Her attempts are up this season (6.3 per game) and last game, she finished a perfect 10 for 10 at the line.
Once again, the Fever overcome a poor start to the second quarter. They outscored the Fire 23-7 over the final six minutes to take a nine-point lead into the locker room.
And then they continued to add to their lead once play resumed in front of a sellout crowd of 19,959 inside the Moda Center.
Kelsey Mitchell matched Clark with 26 points while extending one of the most impressive streaks in the league: 13 consecutive games with at least 20 points and three made 3-pointers.
But this was far from a two-player performance.
Six Fever players scored in double figures as Indiana surpassed 100 points for the 13th time this season. Sophie Cunningham made three 3s and provided 13 points off the bench, while Timpson made the most of her opportunity by contributing 15 points in just 19 minutes.
Another bright spot: Monique Billings. As one of four starters in double figures, Billings finished with 15 points and seven rebounds — her third straight game with at least 12 points.
The Fever know what they’ll get from their Big Three each night. They’re streaking right now due to good health and contributions from role players.
Speaking of the Big Three, it was significant that Aliyah Boston was back out there and played more than 30 minutes after a scary fall last game.
With 4:56 to play in the second quarter of their win on Tuesday in Seattle, Boston landed on her right knee that has been bothering her all season.
She went back to the locker room and did not return to the game, but she did return to the bench for the second half to support her teammates. The team didn't want to risk playing her in the second half and wanted to make sure she is good moving forward.
This was their third and final time playing the Fire in the first 29 games, with the Fever taking the season series 2-1.
The Fever improved to 19-10, climbing up to fourth in the WNBA standings, and have found another level offensively — and in their efficiency — since returning from the All-Star break.
During this five-game win streak, they’ve scored 105 points or more in each game.
The Fever now head to Minnesota to conclude the three-game road trip Sunday (1 p.m. ET, ABC). The Lynx have a league-best 24-6 record, but four of their losses have come at home.
Watch my postgame recap below:
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