Kelsey Mitchell scored 23 points, Caitlin Clark had 19 points, five rebounds and five assists and the Indiana Fever prevailed over the Connecticut Sun 84-80 to snap an 11-game skid in the series between the two teams. The Fever won 4 of their last 5 and earned their 15th win despite starting the WNBA season with an 1-8 record.
Neither team led by double figures in a game where Clark set a WNBA rookie record for 3-pointers. An Alyssa Thomas’ turnover with 24.1 seconds on the clock appeared to be the turning point for Fever as Lexie Hull made two free throws with 19.4 seconds left to give Indiana a four-point lead.
Hull finished with 17 points and eight rebounds for the Indiana Fever(15-16). DiJonai Carrington scored 19 points, Thomas had 17 points, six rebounds, and six assists, and Marina Mabrey added 16 points off the bench for Connecticut (22-8).
Tina Charles might have become the 18th WNBA player to post a triple-double, but Jewell Loyd go-ahead three was the deciding factor as the Seattle Storm downed the Atlanta Dream 85-81. Loyd scored 28 points and Seattle stormed back from down 4 (81-77) in the final 1:40 to finish the game on an 8-0 run.
Rhyne Howard missed a shot in the lane for Atlanta (10-20) and a jump ball was called with 14.6 seconds left. Atlanta was awarded the ball after it went out of bounds, but the Dream turned it over when Seattle’s Gabby Williams stole the inbounds pass with 11.3 remaining.
Loyd sealed it at the free-throw line for a four-point lead and the Storm extended their record to 8 home wins against Atlanta.
Mercury in danger of losing 6th seed after Fever’s victory
Minnesota Lynx is one of the dominant forces in the WNBA at this point of the season as they extended their winning streak to 7 games. Kayla McBride scored 19 points and hit three of Minnesota’s 11 3-pointers to help the Lynx beat Mercury 89-76. Courtney Williams scored 16 points with five assists, Napheesa Collier added 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists and Myisha Hines-Allen had 11 for Minnesota (23-8).
Minnesota lead grew to as large as 21 in the third quarter and was 71-52 entering the fourth. Phoenix got back within 12 twice in the fourth but the Lynx kept the advantage until the end. Diana Taurasi and Sophie Cunningham scored 16 points apiece to lead Phoenix (16-16).
WNBA results from Wednesday night (28/8)
Connecticut Sun (22-8) vs Indiana Fever (15-16) 80-84
Washington Mystics (9-22) vs Chicago Sky (11-19) 74-70
New York Liberty (26-6) vs Los Angeles Sparks (7-24) 88-94
Minnesota Lynx (23-8) vs Phoenix Mercury (16-16) 89-76
Atlanta Dream (10-20) vs Seattle Storm (19-11) 81-85
