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Alexa Philippou
INDIANAPOLIS — Within the extremely anticipated first matchup between No. 1 draft picks Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers as execs, it was Clark and the Indiana Fever who got here out on prime Sunday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse — and in historic vogue.
The Fever rattled off a franchise-record 64 first-half factors behind a 36-15 second quarter, taking management of the sport and by no means wanting again in a 102-83 victory.
Clark, the 2024 No. 1 decide, completed with 13 of Indiana’s 30 assists on 40 makes — a season-best mark for her and a Fever document for a regulation recreation. It was additionally Clark’s seventeenth profession 10-assist recreation, however her first with not more than two turnovers.
After being sidelined with accidents on two separate events this season — and lacking the primary Fever-Wings matchup in June — Clark continues to be trying to rediscover her typical capturing kind. She completed 4-for-12 from the sphere and 2-for-7 on 3-pointers to attain 14 factors. However the two-time All-Star was happy together with her facilitating and energy on the defensive finish, the place she helped set the tone for the Fever and got here away with 5 steals.
No play acquired the Fever followers on their toes greater than when Clark blocked JJ Quinerly‘s layup try early within the second quarter after which discovered a rim-running Sophie Cunningham with a phenomenal three-quarter-court dime.
“I nonetheless most likely did not shoot it nearly as good as I might have favored, however I really feel prefer it’s coming. Simply attempting to proceed to get my legs beneath me,” mentioned Clark, who performed her third recreation following a two-week absence. “I believed my playmaking was actually good. There was no cause for me to essentially shoot that a lot. … [We were] simply very balanced, and folks executed.”
Bueckers, the 2025 No. 1 decide, led all scorers with 21 factors on 9-for-15 capturing, good for the fourth-longest streak of double-figure scoring to begin a WNBA profession (17 video games). The rookie of the 12 months favourite added 4 assists, 4 rebounds and a couple of steals, although she additionally dedicated 4 turnovers.
After a back-and-forth first quarter, the Fever clamped down defensively and demolished the Wings in transition, placing collectively a 25-4 run and finally going into the half up 64-42. The 21 factors marked Indiana’s greatest level differential in any quarter since 2016, and the Fever’s 64 factors had been probably the most any WNBA group has scored in a half this season.
Indiana shot 52% on the day, scored 23 factors off 18 Wings turnovers and tallied a season-high 58 factors within the paint.
“Some turnovers, after which simply their physicality basically acquired into us,” Dallas coach Chris Koclanes mentioned of his group’s second-quarter collapse. “Their physicality actually, actually bothered us in stretches, and type of took away our stream and continuity. However then once more, no excuse for not getting again. I simply suppose we might have had larger effort extra persistently in transitions.”
The Fever led by as many as 29 within the third quarter and completed with 5 gamers in double figures for the fourth time this season, led by a mixed 55 factors from Kelsey Mitchell (20), Natasha Howard (18) and Aliyah Boston (17).
“I believe we had been simply firing on all cylinders, shifting the ball nicely, attending to the subsequent motion, taking part in out a decide and roll nicely,” Clark mentioned. “After which our protection was good and acquired us lots of buckets in transition.”
Added Indiana coach Stephanie White: “For us to play in transition, we have to lock in on the defensive finish. And the ball was shifting — we had been taking part in near .5 basketball in that second quarter.”
After a putrid offensive exhibiting on Wednesday through which the Fever (11-10) managed simply 61 factors with a 30% capturing clip, Indiana has now scored 201 factors throughout its previous two video games. White mentioned she is “happy with our progress” because the group appears to solidify its identification.
Dallas (6-16) noticed the return Sunday of Arike Ogunbowale from a thumb damage that sidelined her for 3 contests, however the four-time All-Star struggled to search out her capturing stroke. She completed with two factors and missed all 10 of her makes an attempt from the sphere — probably the most discipline objective makes an attempt with no make in her profession.
“You would inform she hadn’t performed in a bit. I want some [shots] would have fallen early for her,” Koclanes mentioned. “She’s acquired to proceed to search out that stability of actually working exhausting to stand up the ground and get spots and get off actions, after which I’ve acquired to proceed to assist her.”
Added Bueckers: “This was the most effective since I have been right here that she’s responded to [shooting woes]. It may not have been her night time capturing the ball, however the best way she continued to remain within the recreation, not let it have an effect on her effort on each ends of the ground, her being a frontrunner of this group, that was large for me to have the ability to see that.”