Match Summary: Fever Flattened the Sun on Wednesday Night

INDIANAPOLIS – For the first time since the 2021 regular season, the Indiana Fever (15-16) defeated the Connecticut Sun 84-80 on Wednesday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Indiana has now won six of its last eight games that began Friday in Chicago. The Fever won in front of a sellout crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, bringing their season-high total attendance to a WNBA record 503,921 fans through 31 games played so far this season.

Five Fever players scored in double figures on Wednesday night, led again by guard Kelsey Mitchell with a game-high 23 points. Mitchell shot 8 of 14 from the floor and 4 of 7 from 3-point range for her fifth straight game scoring at least 20 points, setting a franchise record for most consecutive games with 20 points.

Rookie guard Caitlin Clark finished with 19 points, five rebounds, five assists, one block and one steal. With three minutes left in the first quarter, Clark passed Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard to break the WNBA rookie record for most 3-point field goals made with 88. Clark also passed Howard again for 12th place on the all-time rookie points list with 558 points entering Friday’s game at Chicago. Fever guard Lexie Hull, who earned her second start of the season on Wednesday night, added 17 points on 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc, grabbed a career-high eight rebounds, dished out three assists and recorded one block to help Indiana secure the victory.

Fever center Aliyah Boston and forward NaLyssa Smith both had 10 points and six rebounds in the win. Boston recorded her 1,000th career point in the second quarter, making her the fourth-fastest player in franchise history to reach 1,000 points in 71 games played. Boston also tied two career highs in the win with eight assists and four steals.

Indiana opened the game on a 10-0 run early in the first quarter, as Mitchell scored 11 of her 23 points in the first frame. Boston dished out five of her eight assists and the Fever as a team totaled six 3-point field goals, as Indiana ultimately closed the quarter on a 22-9 run. It was the most points given up by a Connecticut Sun opponent, as Indiana led 33-26 after the first quarter. The Sun responded with a 13-5 run in the second quarter, but Indiana pushed back with a 14-5 run of its own. The Fever led 51-42 at halftime, marking the Sun’s second-largest halftime deficit of the season. Indiana made five defensive stops in the final quarter to end the game, and the Sun were held scoreless for the final 2:50 of the game.

Indiana handed Connecticut (22-8) only its second loss since the Olympic break and snapped its three-game winning streak Wednesday night. Four Sun players scored in double figures, led by DiJonai Carrington’s 19 points on 7-of-13 field-goal shooting. Carrington also had a career-high six steals, four rebounds and two assists. Sun forward Alyssa Thomas followed with 17 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals, while Sun guard Marina Mabrey added 16 points, four assists, two rebounds and two steals off the bench. Despite the loss, Connecticut outscored Indiana in paint points, 38-28, and bench points, 20-5.

NEXT
The Fever play Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET on the Chicago Sky. Friday’s game will be broadcast on ION.