Caitlin Clark's double-double leads Fever to third straight win over Mystics


INDIANAPOLIS — Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston scored 22 points each, Kaitlin Clark had the second double-double of her career 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 to go along with six assists and four steals for the Fever (5-10). She also had six turnovers.

NaLyssa Smith added 11 points and Erica Wheeler scored nine off the bench in the second half.

Kaitlin Clark had 18 points and 12 rebounds in the Fever's 88-81 win over the Mystics on Wednesday night. Getty Images

Indiana, which has won five of seven, has won four in a row at home for the first time since August 2015.

Ariel Atkins scored 27 points to lead the Mystics (2-12), who were without injured starters Brittney Sykes and Shakira Austin. Karlie Samuelson added 16 points and Stephanie Dolson had 14.

After trailing by nine points early in the fourth quarter, Washington went on a 9-2 run, and Emily Engstler's three-pointer put the score at 70-68 with seven minutes left in the game.

Wheeler immediately answered with a jumper, Clark took a steal that led to Wheeler feeding Mitchell for a layup and then Clark hit a 3 off Wheeler’s assist to make it 77-68 with 5:05 remaining.

Aaliyah Edwards drives against Kaitlin Clark during the Fever's 88-81 win over the Mystics. Getty Images

Wheeler's pullup at 3:25 increased the lead to 82-71. Clark tied the score with two free throws with 12 seconds remaining.

Indiana never trailed, but never led by more than seven points in the first half, and led 46-53 at halftime.

The Fever shot 55 percent and Smith, Mitchell and Boston were all in double figures, with Clark adding nine points with eight rebounds.

Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell runs down the court against Mystics guard Karlie Samuelson. Brett Phelps/IndyStar/USA TODAY NETWORK

Atkins scored 15 and Samuelson 13 points for the Mystics, who were 0 of 8 from 3-point range in the first quarter and then scored six points in the second.

They were successful in 11 of 34 attempts (32%).

That remained the case in the third quarter, until Boston hit a rare and last-minute 3-pointer — his fourth of the season — to cut the lead to nine points.

The Fever took 10 free throws in the first half and 11 in the third quarter, helping them take a 68-59 lead.


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