On paper this game looked like an easy win for the Indiana Fever as they welcomed the Dallas Wings to Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Indiana went into the game with a chance to get back over the .500 mark after back to back home losses to Las Vegas, but the Wings clearly had other ideas.
This was a fun game to watch if you like scoring, especially in the first half, and it was especially fun for Fever fans as stellar rookie Caitlin Clark went off for another big game. Clark ended up with 35 in a wildly entertaining contest in which the Wings simply refused to go away.
The first half was wide-open and surprisingly close
The Wings definitely caught the Fever napping in the first quarter, racing out to a double-digit lead. Balanced scoring was the key to Dallas's run-out as four of the team's starters scored eight points each--Arike Ogunbowale, Teaira McCowan, Satou Sabally and Natasha Howard.
The Fever woke up halfway through the quarter and keep pace in this defense-optional affair, with Nalyssa Smith leading the way with six. The score at the end of the quarter was a wide-open 34-26 with Dallas leading.
Indiana narrowed the gap further early in the second quarter as reality began to set in for the Wings. Clark got hot, lighting it up from both the field and beyond the arc, and she carried the Fever until they could tie the game at 44 as Kelsey Mitchell finally got going as well.
The Fever finally took the lead with halftime approaching, but the game turned into a back and forth affair as the Wings briefly took a 57-55 lead, then maintained that lead to go into the break leading 59-57. The scoring tally for the half featured Clark and Mitchell with 15 each, while Natasha Howard had 18 for the Wings and Sabally chipped in with 17.
More scoring in the second half as both teams top 100
The defense didn't tighten up at all going into the second game, but the score definitely did. The two teams continued to exchange leads as they lit up the scoreboard, with the Fever emerging with an 84-83 edge going into the final frame. The good news for Indiana is that they took care of the ball, with a total of just four turnovers after three, and Clark only had one of those.
The Fever finally took control of the game late, taking a 97-90 lead. Dallas briefly threatened a comeback before Indiana hit the century mark, and the Fever stretched their lead to 106-98 with just over a minute left. The Wings refused to go away, closing to 106-103, then 108-106 with 1.9 seconds left.
A double technical on Aliyah Boston and Teaira McCowan added some spice to the final seconds, with McCowan ejected as part of the chaos. Boston added a pair of free throws to make the score 110-106 to end the suspense, but Sabally was still able to narrow the final margin to 110-109 before the final buzzer sounded.
Caitlin Clark gets 35 as three Wings break 25
As you might expect with this kind of final score, plenty of players had big nights in the box score. Clark wound up with 35 to close out her amazing rookie year, while Sabally and Ogunbowale both tallied 27 to go with 26 from Natasha Howard.
Both teams get a breather going forward, with Dallas closing it season in Las Vegas against the Aces on Thursday. Indiana, meanwhile, still has an intriguing role to play in the playoff picture as the visit Washington in a game that could help decide who gets the eighth spot in the postseason.