Clark records triple-double as Indiana outlasts Los Angeles

INDIANAPOLIS -- Caitlin Clark is the only rookie in WNBA history to record a triple-double. Now, she has done so twice.

Despite a sluggish performance Wednesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Clark and the Indiana Fever secured their fifth straight win, 93-86, over the Los Angeles Sparks.

The rookie point guard finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists as the Fever improved to 18-16 overall with six games left to play in the regular season. Clark’s first triple-double came on July 6 in a win over the New York Liberty.

Clark, who had seven turnovers against LA, knows Indiana can play better than it did Wednesday. The Fever committed 19 turnovers, eight coming in the first quarter.

“I thought we could have come out with a little more energy,” Clark said. “We seemed a little bit flat. We weren’t always on the same page and I think that started from the beginning.

“We really didn’t play with as much pace as we usually do. Then, obviously, we could have taken care of the ball a little bit better. I think we win by 10 to 15 (points), maybe even more than that, if we just take better care of the ball.”

Indiana trailed 48-47 at halftime but did just enough in the third and fourth quarters to outlast a scrappy Sparks team.

Aliyah Boston had an efficient night, helping the Fever avoid a disappointing loss to a team with just seven wins (7-26) this season. She finished with 24 points on 10-for-16 shooting from the field and added 14 rebounds and four assists.

Also for Indiana, Kelsey Mitchell finished with 18 points while NaLyssa Smith scored 13 points.

The Fever, who are 7-1 since the Olympics break and 10-1 in their last 11 games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, will continue their homestand Friday against the Minnesota Lynx.

“We know on Friday we (have to) come out with a lot more energy,” Clark said.

Prior to Wednesday’s game, Clark was named both WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month and WNBA Rookie of the Month for August. On Tuesday, she was named WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the second consecutive week.

Clark, who leads the league in assists at 8.4 per game, averaged 24.0 points, 8.5 assists and 5.2 rebounds in August. 

Sides named WNBA Coach of the Month

Indiana head coach Christie Sides on Wednesday was named WNBA Coach of the Month. Sides is the first head coach in franchise history to win the award.

The Fever, who had a 5-1 record in August, scored a league-best 89.7 points per game and secured the top spot for made 3-pointers with 72. Indiana’s offense was the highest rated among all WNBA teams at 110.7.

The team’s lone loss came to Minnesota on Aug. 24.

Katie Lou Samuelson, who is an important role player for the Fever, said it is “exciting” to play for coach Sides.

“She wants it more than anyone,” Samuelson said. “I feel like I am playing through her energy, too. That picks me up every single day.”

Fever clinch playoff spot for first time since 2016

Indiana clinched a spot in the WNBA playoffs Tuesday night for the first time since 2016. The Atlanta Dream and Chicago Sky lost their games Tuesday, which allowed Indiana to secure a spot.

The team’s five starters -- Clark, Mitchell, Boston, Smith and Lexie Hull -- were all drafted by the Fever and will make their playoff debuts together later this month. The playoffs officially begin Sept. 22.

"I think we have the type of team that can win and advance,” Clark said.

This will be the franchise’s 14th playoff appearance as Indiana reached the playoffs 12 consecutive times from 2005-2016. The team made its first postseason appearance in 2002.

The Fever’s roster, as a whole, has limited playoff experience (19 games). The top four teams in the league, however, are full of players who have participated in postseason play.

Las Vegas (273 games), Connecticut (222 games), New York (168 games) and Minnesota (130 games) are the most experienced teams, according to ESPN.

Las Vegas, led by 2024 MVP favorite A’ja Wilson, has won back-to-back titles the last two seasons.

New York, which has the best record in the league at 27-6, has never won a WNBA championship.

The top eight teams, regardless of conference, will qualify for the playoffs and be seeded based on their record. The first round is a best-of-three series. In the first-round series games (2-1 format), the higher seed will host the first two games while the lower seed will host Game 3, if necessary. 

The semifinals and WNBA Finals will both feature a best-of-five series (2-2-1 format) with the higher seed hosting Games 1, 2 and 5. The lower seed will host Games 3 and 4.

League standings: 1 New York, 27-6; 2 Connecticut, 24-9; 3 Minnesota, 24-9; 4 Las Vegas, 21-12; 5 Seattle, 20-13; 6 Indiana, 18-16; 7 Phoenix, 17-17; 8 Chicago, 11-22; 9 Atlanta 11-22; 10 Washington, 10-23; 11 Dallas, 9-24; 12 Los Angeles, 7-26.

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