Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever kept their mid-season turnaround going Sunday with a 91-83 victory over Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky. After a grueling start to their campaign, the Fever have now won three of their last four games, while the Sky have suddenly lost four in a row.
Just like the first game between these Midwestern foes a few weeks ago, this was a competitive matchup all day long. The Fever were able to pull away down the stretch, though, thanks to some late-game brilliance from Clark. She either scored or assisted on nine of the Fever's final 10 points to secure the win.
This was arguably the best game of Clark's career to date, as she finished with 23 points, eight rebounds, nine assists and two blocks on 7-of-11 from the field. Aliyah Boston, meanwhile, continued her recent strong play with 19 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and five blocks for a monster double-double.
On the other side, Reese recorded yet another double-double with 11 points, 13 rebounds and five assists, but she shot just 4-of-13 from the field and dealt with foul trouble in the second half. Kamilla Cardoso, meanwhile, had 10 points and 10 rebounds for her first career double-double. Chennedy Carter, who was moved into the starting lineup for the first time this season, went for 18 points.
Here are some key takeaways from the game:
Clark delivers a big-time performance
Caitlin Clark has had some issues with consistency in recent outings, but she brought her A-game for this one. She narrowly missed out on her first career triple-double and had the most efficient shooting effort: 23 points, eight points and nine rebounds on 7-of-11 from the field.
It was not just the stats that stood out for Clark, but her overall approach and steadiness in big moments. Though she did wind up with five turnovers, she was under control all afternoon long and did not force many passes or shot attempts. And when the Fever needed big baskets down the stretch to see out the game, she made them happen.
As the clock ticked toward three minutes remaining, the Fever were clinging to a four-point lead. Clark pulled up from 30 feet and buried a triple, assisted on their next two baskets, then sunk two clutch free throws to seal the win with 18 seconds to play.
For the season, Clark is now up to 16.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game.
Boston continues her turnaround
There was a lot of excitement for Aliyah Boston's sophomore season after her historic rookie campaign, but she got off to a frustrating start. Not only was she no longer the focal point of the offense, but she had to adjust to playing more in the pick-and-roll.
While Boston did not look comfortable at all initially, she's starting to figure things out. She put up a career-high 27 points and 13 rebounds in the Fever's win over the Atlanta Dream on Thursday, then followed it up with 19 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and five blocks against the Sky.
It was notable that six of her nine makes on Sunday came off feeds from Clark, and on a wide variety of plays. They had the pick-and-roll working, but they also connected on some timely cuts and some transition opportunities. The chemistry between the two No. 1 overall picks continues to grow, and that's great news for the Fever.
It's no surprise that Boston's resurgence has coincided with the Fever's recent hot streak. When she's playing at this level, they are a different team.
Reese and Cardoso both record double-doubles
The Sky didn't get the win in this one, but rookie bigs Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso did have solid performances despite battling foul trouble.
Reese finished with 11 points, 13 rebounds and five assists to register her sixth double-double in a row. She is now tied with Tina Charles (2012) and Cindy Brown (1998) for the most consecutive double-doubles by a rookie in WNBA history. For the season, she's up to 12.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, which has her on pace to be the fifth rookie to have a 10/10 season.
Cardoso, who made her debut against the Fever at the beginning of the month, added 10 points and 10 rebounds of her own for the first double-double of her professional career. While she's still trying to work her way back from injury and adjust to the speed of the pro game, she's now scored in double figures in four consecutive games.