Fever Guard Tandem Leads Indiana Past Dallas in Stunning Display of Offense

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WNBA Indiana Fever

Fever Guard Tandem Leads Indiana Past Dallas in Stunning Display of Offense

September 15, 2024 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Indiana Fever News Release


Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell saved the best for last in Gainbridge Fieldhouse as they combined for 75 of Indiana's 110 points in the Fever's home finale on Sunday.

A pair of 30-point scoring outings from the guard tandem had Fever fans erupting in downtown Indianapolis as Indiana shot its way to a 110-109 win over the Dallas Wings. The Fever drained 16 3-point shots in the matchup, the most they've made in a game this season. Clark and Mitchell made six each.

"When both of us are on from the one and two positions, that just puts the defense in a really tough spot," Clark said. "We just really read and understand each other a lot better from where we were at the beginning of the season...The amount of backdoor cuts that girl has got, just because we make eye contact and she knows to go back doors, it's incredible."

Sunday's win marks the 20th tally in the W column for Indiana, and secures a .500 record for the Fever for the first time since 2016, just two years before Mitchell was drafted. As a seven-year veteran, Mitchell will enjoy her first .500 season in Indiana as part of a transcendent group in WNBA history.

"I think that the process is something that you take for granted," Mitchell said after the game. "You'll never understand it until you're in it. And I think the process for me was having to see what that was. And now, on the flip side of things, I get to deal with a special group. And so I'm very grateful to be able to do it with such a young and vibrant group. And I think that for us, the sky's the limit, because no one thought we'd be here."

The Indiana Fever's home finale was yet another sellout, a fitting end to a historic regular season for the franchise. After Sunday's game, Indiana's recorded attendance for home and road contests exceeded 620,000 fans - a new WNBA single-season record.

"It's just incredible where we are right now, where the league is with the fan support," coach Christie Sides said. "And it does make a huge difference to have the fans, both home and away. You hear them on the road as well for us and they're that extra push sometimes."

Indiana needed that push on Sunday as they entered the locker room at the halftime break down two points to the Wings - the WNBA's 11th ranked team. Dallas, already eliminated from playoff contention, hit Indiana's defense with an eye-opening 34 first quarter points - the Wings' best first quarter total all season.

The result was an offensive explosion from both Clark and Mitchell, with Clark setting a new career high as she coasted past the WNBA single-season rookie scoring record.

The announcement that informed Fever fans of Clark's scoring record earned a standing ovation from Gainbridge Fieldhouse, and fans from the floor to the rafters belted out their appreciation for the Iowa product's on-court production. Her 35 points surpassed her previous WNBA career high of 31 that she set in Chicago on August 30th.

Indiana's offense ranks third in the league, trailing only New York and Las Vegas in offensive efficiency. The Fever have defeated every other WNBA team this season except for the Las Vegas Aces. Entering the WNBA Playoffs, they'll have confidence in their ability to dismantle their opponents.

"We're not just happy to be there," Clark said. "We really feel, like we believe, we can compete with every single team that's going to be in the playoffs...We have confidence in the fact that whoever our first round matchup is, we have beat that team before. That doesn't mean they're not really, really talented and really, really skilled, but that does give you a little bit of confidence going into those games."

Confidence remains a key part of Indiana's game plan as a historic regular season run comes to a close in Washington D.C. on Thursday. The Mystics, who are fighting for the eighth and final playoff spot, will be a worthy competitor for the Fever as they look to remain in good form before postseason basketball commences.

"We still expect to win that too," Clark said of the final regular season game of her rookie year. "And we know that Washington is going to be fighting for that last playoff spot...Our goal has been one at a time. I thought we've done a really good job with that."

The Fever will attack the final hurdle of a whirlwind season poised to continue their race into playoff basketball the following week. As a record-breaking season comes to a close on the road, the WNBA Playoffs lurk just around the corner.

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