Match Summary: Fever Almost Back at Mystics, Ending Regular Season

WASHINGTON, DC – The Indiana Fever (20-20) fell just short, 92-91, in their final regular-season game against the Washington Mystics at Capital One Arena on Thursday night. Thursday’s game was played before a sellout crowd of 20,711, setting a WNBA record for largest attendance in league history. Indiana now travels to take on the third-seeded Connecticut Sun to begin its first-round series in the 2024 WNBA Playoffs on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. ET on ABC.

Indiana’s bench finished with a season-high 53 points scored, with four Fever players scoring in double figures. Fever guard Kristy Wallace led Indiana off the bench with a season-high 17 points and four rebounds. Fever forward NaLyssa Smith followed with 16 points and five rebounds, while center Aliyah Boston and reserve forward Katie Lou Samuelson both added 10 points and combined for seven rebounds, six assists and three steals in the loss. Fever rookie guard Caitlin Clark recorded eight points, eight assists and five rebounds in about 20 minutes. Clark finished the night with the franchise record for most points scored in a regular season with 769 points. Indiana shot 53.1 percent (33-of-64) from the field and 10-of-20 from 3-point range in the loss and tied a season-high with 28 assists.

Indiana led 20-2 early in the first quarter, but back-to-back 3-point field goals plus a layup by Washington late in the first quarter sparked a 20-4 run by the Mystics, and Indiana led only 24-22 early in the second quarter. The Mystics’ late first-quarter run extended into the second, and Washington eventually led 52-45 at halftime. Indiana was forced to take a timeout after Washington opened the second half with a 12-3 run, but the Mystics outscored Indiana again, 30-21, and led by 16 points early in the final quarter. The Fever went on a 22-8 run to end the game, outscoring Washington, 25-10, but it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback attempt sparked by the Fever bench.

Five Mystics (14-26) players scored in double figures in the narrow victory, led by reserve forward Sika Koné’s game-high 20 points on 7-of-10 field goal shooting as well as seven rebounds and two assists. Mystics guard Ariel Atkins and forward Emily Engstler both scored 17 points. Atkins scored 11 of her 17 points in the second quarter alone and also recorded three steals. Engstler tied a season record in a game with three made 3-point field goals and recorded five rebounds, five assists, one block and one steal.

NEXT
The Fever begin the first round of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET at the Connecticut Sun. Sunday’s game will be televised on ABC.