INDIANAPOLIS – A fourth-quarter surge from the Indiana Fever (13-15) secured a 92-75 victory against the Seattle Storm on Sunday afternoon at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Fever guards Caitlin Clark, Lexie Hull and Kelsey Mitchell all ended the game eclipsing the 20-point mark led by Mitchell’s game-high 27 points.
Clark recorded her fifth 20-point game in her last six games with 23 points, which included three made 3-point field goals to become the franchise rookie leader in made 3-point field goals with 78 this season. Clark also dished out nine assists in the win, which made her the all-time rookie leader in assists with 232, breaking Ticha Penicheiro’s previous record of 224. Clark also added five rebounds, two blocks and one steal. Hull came off the bench and recorded a career-high 22 points with a career-high six made 3-point field goals, including a 4-of-4 clip in the final quarter.
Mitchell led Indiana in scoring with a game-high 27 points on 10-of-19 shooting and 5-of-8 shooting from 3-point range. Mitchell also recorded three assists, three steals, two rebounds and one block. Sunday’s game was Mitchell’s second-consecutive 20-point game and fourth 20-point game in the last five games. Fever center Aliyah Boston pulled down a season-high 15 rebounds in the win and was two assists and one point shy of a triple-double.
As a team, Indiana eclipsed at least 90 points in four of its last five games.
After a defensive battle in the first quarter, Seattle went on a 14-6 run to begin the second quarter, but a made 3-point field goal from Hull and layup down the stretch from Clark sparked Indiana’s 14-6 run of its own and the Fever outscored the Storm 22-17 and led 35-34 at the half. The Fever and Storm both scored 24 points each in the third quarter, but a 17-6 Fever run in the final quarter cemented the win. Indiana outscored Seattle, 33-17, in the fourth quarter and 12 of Hull’s 22 points came from the last quarter alone. The Fever outscored the Storm in bench points, 30-7, paint points, 32-30, fast break points, 13-9, and outrebounded Seattle, 43-32.
For Seattle (17-10), Storm guards Jewell Loyd and Skylar Diggins-Smith led in scoring with 26 and 15 points, respectively. The two guards combined for nine assists and eight rebounds in the loss. Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike followed with 14 points, nine rebounds, four steals and three assists. Center Ezi Magbegor finished with nine points, seven rebounds and a game-high five blocks.
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