‘It’s huge’: Caitlin Clark posts double-double in third straight win for the Indiana Fever
By Matias Grez, CNN
(CNN) — Caitlin Clark’s double-double helped the Indiana Fever beat the Washington Mystics 88-81 on Wednesday in Indianapolis to win their third straight.
The former Iowa star had 18 points and a career-high 12 rebounds to go with six assists and four steals; it’s Clark’s second double-double this season.
Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell had a team-high 22 points each and both shot a supremely efficient 72.7% from the floor.
It’s the first time since 2015 that the Fever have enjoyed a four-game home winning streak.
“It’s huge,” Clark told NBA TV of the run. “When you can stack these wins, it gives everybody confidence. We’re a young group, so I think we’re starting to see our potential and what we’re able to do. I think Aliyah’s been amazing, Kelsey Mitchell has been great.
“Everybody has been contributing in ways that they need to and it’s been fun. These have been team wins. It hasn’t been any individual that’s been doing it all for us, and when we have that balance, I think it’s really hard for other teams to guard us.”
The Fever held a nine-point lead going into the fourth quarter, which the Mystics quickly cut to two with a 9-2 run. But the Fever responded with seven straight points to push the lead back up to nine again and take control of the game going down the stretch.
“Whenever they went on a run, we always found a way to respond,” Clark told NBA TV of the team’s resilience. “I thought we could have started a little better in the fourth quarter, but we found a way to get it done.
“The second quarter was tougher for us, they made a few threes. Overall, I thought we just found a way to win, chipped away, didn’t let them get back in it at the end.”
Ariel Atkins had a game-high 27 points for the Mystics, whose 2-13 record is the worst in the WNBA.
Clark and the Fever now go on a five-game road trip, which begins against the Atlanta Dream on Friday.
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