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    • Caitlin Clark earns triple-double, Indiana Fever win fifth in a row
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    Caitlin Clark earns triple-double, Indiana Fever win fifth in a row

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    INDIANAPOLIS — On the same day she was named WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month, Caitlin Clark notched her second career triple-double. The Indiana Fever bounced back from a sluggish start to beat the Los Angeles Sparks 93-86 for their 18th win of the season.

    Indiana has won five straight games and seven of eight since returning from the Olympic break. The team is now 18-16 and sixth in the WNBA standings, with a playoff spot already secured.

    More: How Caitlin Clark and Christie Sides Reacted to Making the Playoffs

    Here are three observations:

    Lack of rhythm, mistakes in the first half

    Something was amiss for the Fever in the first half. Indiana, fresh off its first playoff berth since 2016, was playing the bottom-seeded Sparks.

    But even with the advantage on paper, the Fever couldn’t seem to gain an edge against the Sparks. That wasn’t unusual; Indiana has struggled against lower-ranked teams this season, even suffering losses to the Washington Mystics and Dallas Wings when they were in last place.

    The Fever couldn’t find a rhythm in the first half, and it showed in the first quarter. Indiana had two backcourt violations — something very unusual for the Fever — and lost the ball eight times. They couldn’t get a run or create space.

    Fortunately for Indiana, Los Angeles couldn’t capitalize on the Fever’s miscues. Indiana still led, albeit by one point, after the first quarter. Los Angeles flipped the script and took a one-point lead into halftime.

    But that only fueled Indiana, who found their rhythm in the second half and built an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter to defeat a team in last place in the league.

    Caitlin Clark’s behind-the-back passes provide highlights

    As the Fever found their rhythm in the second half, Clark sharpened her passing with some flashy moves. By Wednesday night, it was all passing.

    Her first wasn’t credited as an assist, but it was still a highlight reel that might be SportsCenter’s best play. Clark threw the ball behind her back, through two defenders, to Aliyah Boston, who kicked it to a wide-open Erica Wheeler for 3.

    And the crowd went absolutely wild when the ball flew through the net.

    A few minutes later, she flashed behind her back again. After making a 3-pointer and then defensively catching a loose ball, Clark drove to the basket as if she were going to make a layup. Instead, she tossed the ball back around and behind her back to Boston, who eluded Sparks forward Rae Burrell for a layup.

    Behind-the-back passes are in Clark’s repertoire, but she doesn’t typically use them as often as she did Wednesday night. It was something the Sparks weren’t expecting; the very reason to surprise them.

    Kelsey Mitchell’s streak of 20+ points games ends

    Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell’s franchise-record streak of 20 or more points will end at seven. Mitchell had scored 20 or more points in each of the Fever’s games since the Olympic break, including a surprising 36 against Dallas on Sunday afternoon.

    On Wednesday she just fell short.

    She entered the final two minutes of the fourth quarter with 18 points, but her shot was not falling. She had a chance to go 20-point with 58 seconds left, but the ball bounced off the rim. When Lexie Hull grabbed the offensive rebound and tried to pass the ball back to Mitchell, she was fouled.

    Hull made both free throws, and Mitchell’s chance to add two points diminished as the Sparks began fouling on every Fever possession. Indiana couldn’t reach Mitchell before fouling, and the seven-year veteran finished with 18 points.

    How many points did Caitlin Clark score?

    Clark notched a last-minute triple-double by grabbing a rebound on the Fever’s final defensive play, finishing with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

    It is the second triple-double of her career and she is the only rookie to have a triple-double in WNBA history.

    She also made 4 of 10 three-pointers, becoming the first rookie in league history to make 100 or more three-pointers.

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