INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston scored 22 points apiece, Caitlin Clark had her second career double-double and the Indiana Fever won their third-straight game with an 88-81 victory over the Washington Mystics on Wednesday night.
Clark had 18 points and a career-high 12 rebounds plus six assists and four steals for the Fever (5-10). She also had six turnovers. NaLyssa Smith added 11 points and Erica Wheeler had nine points off the bench in a big second half.
Indiana, which has won five of seven has its first four-game winning streak at home since August of 2015.
Ariel Atkins had 27 points to lead the Mystics (2-12), who were missing injured starters Brittney Sykes and Shakira Austin. Karlie Samuelson had 16 points and Stephanie Dolson 14.
Down nine entering the fourth quarter, Washington started with a 9-2 run, pulling within 70-68 on a three-point play by Emily Engstler with seven minutes to go. Wheeler quickly answered with a jumper, Clark had a steal that led to Wheeler feeding Mitchell for a layup and then Clark hit a 3 off a Wheeler assist to make it 77-68 with 5:05 left.
Wheeler’s pullup at 3:25 pushed the lead to 82-71. Clark’s two free throws with 12 seconds remaining wrapped it up.
Indiana never trailed but was never up by more than seven in the first half before settling for a 46-53 lead at the break. The Fever shot 55% and Smith, Mitchell and Boston were all in double figures with Clark adding nine with eight rebounds.
Atkins had 15 and Samuelson 13 for the Mystics, who were 0 for 8 from 3-point range in the first quarter and then drilled six in the second. They finished with 11 on 34 attempts (32%).
It was more of the same in the third quarter until Boston hit a rare and late 3-pointer — her fourth of the season — that pushed the lead to nine. The Fever, who had 10 free throws in the first half, had 11 in the third quarter, helping them to a 68-59 lead.
___
