Let out that deep breath, Fever fans. The game is over, and the win is now yours. Indiana has officially swept the series against the Phoneix Mercury thanks to Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell. It looked like it was going to be a big-time beat down from the Fever, but the turnaround by the Mercury could put you on the edge of your seat. Phoenix came out swinging in the third and took a short lead before crumbling one more time.
Caitlin Clark Kelsey Mitchell duo domination
Tonight, Clark had a double-double that helped deliver a win for her team against a top-of-the-standings Mercury. She finished the game with 29 points and 10 assists to go with five rebounds. She was 8-16 from the field and 4-11 from three, hitting pivotal shots to maintain a lead in the fourth.
It wasn't just the Clark show tonight. Kelsey Mitchell was playing like she was on fire. She had 28 points, three assists, and five rebounds. She went 11-22 from the field and 6-13 from three. Mitchell has been on a roll for Indiana and continues to remain impressive in every game. She and Clark have become a fantastic duo, and if they can continue to lift each other up, the Fever will take over the league.
Too little too late for Phoenix
As stated, there was a moment in the third quarter when Mercury managed to get a one-point lead over the opposition thanks to a Kahleah Copper three. The lead lasted less than a minute, with Lexie Hull matching with her own three on the other end. Unlike the first two quarters, the Mercury managed to keep things pretty close for the rest of the game but never got that lead back.
Three major positives in this game would be Copper, Diana Taurasi, and Natasha Cloud exploding offensively. Copper finished with 32 points, six assists, and seven rebounds. Taurasi had 16 points, and Cloud had 19. The rest of the starting five and the bench were relatively quiet, though.
Brittney Griner struggled a bit down low, thanks to some solid defense and offense from Aliyah Boston. Clark also found a way around the center, slashing through the paint for some quick layups. Taurasi matched the energy against Boston, putting up some nice points down low.
Fever team looks cohesive
This was real team basketball from Indiana tonight. The passes were crisp and clean and there weren't many turnovers being seen. It was an impressive game for Boston, who had 14 points and nine rebounds. She was bullying Griner on the block and got some shots past her. Boston is tall as well, at 6'5", but it's rare that Griner gets taken to school down low this much.
Nalyssa Smith had herself a game with 13 points and nine rebounds as well. The wealth was shared well in this game, as every single player scored at least once. It's impressive to see a team that was once considered bottom of the barrel suddenly wake up and play ball. One thing rings true: Caitlin Clark is great for team basketball and women's sports in general.
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