INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Fever bought a signature win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon, getting back from 11 factors down within the fourth quarter to take down the league-leading New York Liberty, 83-78.
The Fever are actually 9-13, whereas the Liberty are 17-4.
Listed below are three observations:
Fever get signature win
For over half the season, Indiana has been doing what it wanted to do: beating the groups on the backside of the standings. Whereas the Fever picked up a win towards Phoenix, their first towards a .500 workforce, it was nonetheless one towards a franchise that was in the midst of the pack.
On Saturday, 22 video games into the season, Indiana bought a signature win. The Fever handed New York, presently on the high of the standings, simply its fourth lack of the season.
The Fever trailed, 75-68, with just below 5 minutes left within the recreation, and roared again with a 11-0 run to take a 79-75 lead. Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu made a 3-pointer to get inside one level, however she missed a possible go-ahead 3-pointer on the subsequent possession. Whereas the Liberty bought the offensive rebound, the ball went over the halfcourt line. The Liberty misplaced possession on an over-and-back name, and free throws sealed the Fever victory.
That is the Fever’s first win over one of many top-three groups within the league. Indiana is 0-3 towards Connecticut and 0-3 towards Las Vegas.
Fever rating:Indiana Fever beat WNBA’s finest workforce, the New York Liberty, Caitlin Clark has triple-double
Quick begin melts away
At first, it did not seem like the Fever, the eighth-place workforce within the WNBA, was taking part in the workforce on the high of the standings.
Indiana rushed out to a 7-0 lead behind back-to-back No. 1 picks Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark, then led 10-1 on the first media timeout. At one level within the first quarter, they led by 12 factors, 24-12. The Fever’s offense was clicking on all cylinders: Boston and Clark had been discovering a rhythm and the workforce had an excellent tempo and imaginative and prescient.
Then, that begin slowly melted away.
New York went on a 6-0 run over the tip of the primary quarter to begin chopping into the deficit, and Indiana, with substitutes within the recreation, suffered a 3:30 stretch the place they did not rating within the second quarter. A questionable out-of-bounds name on Kelsey Mitchell on the finish of the primary half gave New York an additional possession, which resulted in two free throws from Stewart to formally shut the hole.
Caitlin Clark will get first profession triple-double
Caitlin Clark is making extra historical past.
Along with her tenth rebound within the fourth quarter, Clark formally hit double-figures in all three main classes with 15 factors, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds.
The Fever rookie has gotten near a triple-double earlier than: she completed Indiana’s win towards Phoenix with 15 factors, 9 rebounds, and 12 assists, however she could not seize the ultimate rebound as she left the sport within the closing seconds.
This time, she made certain it wasn’t left to likelihood.
Clark bought off to a scorching begin, with 13 factors, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists by halftime. She bought to the points-assists double-double mark by the tip of the third quarter, and solely wanted three rebounds for a triple-double. She bought these within the first 4 minutes of the primary quarter.
It’s the first triple-double by a WNBA rookie in league historical past and the primary for the Fever franchise.
Clark had 17 triple-doubles in faculty, which was second to only Sabrina Ionescu (who was on the opposite facet of the ground on Saturday afternoon). Ionescu didn’t document a triple-double in her rookie season within the WNBA, however has in subsequent seasons.
What number of factors did Caitlin Clark rating towards the New York Liberty?
Clark had 19 factors on 7-of-17 capturing on Saturday afternoon, together with 12 rebounds and 13 assists.