Caitlin Clark rallied after lacking her first seven 3-point makes an attempt on Friday to attach on a pair of essential, deep triples late within the fourth quarter and the Indiana Fever scored their first win of the season with a 78-73 defeat of the host Los Angeles Sparks.
With Indiana (1-5) holding a two-point lead after 5 fast factors from Los Angeles’ Cameron Brink and Lexie Brown, Clark fired from properly past the 3-point arc with 40 seconds remaining. The lengthy shot successfully put away the win for the Fever after they rallied from an 11-point halftime gap.
Indiana chipped away on the double-digit deficit, in the end pulling forward with a 10-2 run within the fourth quarter. Kelsey Mitchell, who scored 13 of her team-high 18 factors within the fourth quarter, capped the pivotal stretch with a pair of 3-pointers.
After the Fever’s burst, the Sparks (1-3) reduce the eventual 69-62 deficit to 3 when Brink and Rickea Jackson scored 4 fast factors. Brink completed with 15 factors and 9 rebounds, whereas Jackson scored 16 factors in lower than 21 minutes off the bench.
Clark answered the Sparks’ mini-rally with the primary of her essential 3-pointers, a 33-footer that gave Indiana an vital cushion for the ultimate two minutes.
Clark completed with 11 factors and 10 rebounds, flirting with a triple-double as she dished eight assists. She additionally got here away with a game-high 4 steals.
Aaliyah Boston and Temi Fagbenle every scored 17 factors for Indiana.
Dearica Hamby registered her third double-double within the first 4 video games of the Sparks’ season, going for 18 factors and 12 rebounds. She additionally handed for a team-high seven assists.
The Fever restricted Kia Nurse, who got here into Friday’s sport averaging greater than 16 factors to begin the season, to simply 4 factors on 2-of-11 field-goal capturing. Indiana additionally restricted Brown to 5 factors on 2-of-10 capturing.
–Discipline Stage Media/Reuters
