Caitlin Clark missed her fifth consecutive sport on Wednesday resulting from a proper groin harm, however her teammates as soon as once more had her again. The Indiana Fever held off the Phoenix Mercury in a high-scoring affair at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, 107-101, to increase their successful streak to 3 video games.
With the win, the Fever improved to 15-12 for the season and climbed three video games above .500 for the primary time since 2015 — the final yr they gained a playoff sport.
Heading into Wednesday’s matchup, the story was DeWanna Bonner’s return to Indianapolis a month after her messy split from the Fever. As anticipated, the Indiana followers voiced their displeasure with Bonner, however after a number of early boos they spent the remainder of the evening cheering their crew to victory.
The Fever trailed by double digits on the finish of the primary quarter however dominated the second body to take the lead going into halftime. They maintained that benefit till early within the fourth quarter when Kahleah Copper put the Mercury again in entrance.
Aliyah Boston made positive the Mercury’s lead was short-lived. The All-Star heart took over the sport and ripped off a private 10-0 run in a two-minute span to provide the Fever management once more. Whereas the Mercury stored on preventing, the Fever held them off down the stretch to safe one in all their largest wins of the season.
As Caitlin Clark remains sidelined, Aliyah Boston explains how opponents have adjusted to Fever’s offense
Brad Crawford
Boston completed with 22 factors and 12 rebounds to document her fourth consecutive double-double and proceed a stellar marketing campaign. She’s needed to decide up plenty of slack with Clark sidelined for greater than half the season and is averaging 15.6 factors, 8.1 rebounds and three.8 assists per sport on 54.8% capturing. Her scoring and help marks are each profession highs.
The Fever additionally received a profession excessive 27 factors from Aari McDonald, who has moved into the start line guard function with out Clark. McDonald initially joined the crew on a hardship exception throughout Clark’s first harm, however needed to be launched as soon as the Fever received wholesome. Sarcastically, Bonner forcing her approach out of city gave the Fever the cap house to signal McDonald to a rest-of-season contract.
McDonald, a former lottery decide, has been a significantly better match for this Fever crew than Bonner — and extra productive. In 16 video games with the Fever, McDonald is averaging 9.6 factors, 4.4 assists and 1.4 steals per sport. Her quickness with the ball has allowed the Fever to take care of their tempo with out Clark, and her depth on the level of assault provides their perimeter protection a giant enhance.
Clark remains to be with no timeline for her return, and this latest sizzling streak will enable the Fever to be much more cautious along with her restoration. After Wednesday’s win, the Fever (15-12) are alone in sixth place and nearer to 3rd (1.5 video games behind the Mercury) than they’re to ninth (two video games up on the Golden State Valkyries).