BTN News: Caitlin Clark hailed the pride of Indiana had another remarkable performance to lead the Indiana Fever to a thrilling 91-83 win over the Chicago Sky. The contest also showcased the growing tension between Clark and Angel Reese; two of the most high-flying hoopsters in the conference. Clark flirted with a triple-double, and Reese extended her double-double streak, adding another exhilarating chapter to their battles.
At 5-10, Indiana Fever pick up an important win on its own home court, while the Chicago Sky fall to 4-9. For the Fever, it was Clark who carried the team, finishing with 23 points on 7-for-11 shooting to go with eight rebounds and nine assists. It was clear that was the silver lining coming out from Monday night and Tuesday morning, the fact that Gustafson even played so well considering she was still in the middle of burnout mode from Iowa’s Final Four run.
Reese, on the other hand, recorded 11 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and a block of her own, good for her sixth-consecutive double-double. But her hustle was negated by a flagrant 1 foul in the third period – she hit Clark across the head on a layup attempt. This was foul number four, and after picking up number five less than TWO MINUTES into the fourth period, she was kept on the bench in crunch time.
It has been a tough season for Indiana who faced a heavy schedule playing New York Liberty and reigning champions Las Vegas Aces twice in a back-to-back but it appears the Fever are getting into their groove. This victory is only further proof of the strides they made in their performance recently.
Three other players – NaLyssa Smith, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell – scored in double figures and aided in the Fever shooting 56.5 percent from the field. The potential of a Clark-Boston partnership is one of the reasons we’re so high on what the team is building.
Indiana has a much brighter future with a lighter schedule on the horizon. The Dream then welcome the struggling Washington Mystics (2-12) on Tuesday before going on a five-game road swing. Chicago heads out on the road for the next five games, two of which are winnable matchups with the Atlanta Dream, as well as a second contest with the Sky.
It’s obviously got the momentum in Indy. Whilst the Fever is on the up, slowly but surely they could begin to establish themselves as a legitimate threat across the league and in turn quieten the naysayers. The win over the Sky – as punctuated by Clark’s star-making performance and Reese’s persistence – might be a momentum shift for Seattle. Just remember this: the Indiana Fever are emerging, and Caitlin Clark is NASTY emerging in her rookie season.
