The Indiana Fever have only just crept to .500 with their latest win, but you wouldn't think it based on their dominant team performance in Friday's victory over the Atlanta Dream.
The Fever had a night to remember in their 99-82 win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, a game in which superstar guard Caitlin Clark surprisingly didn't do much of the heavy lifting. Clark, who appeared in her second game since recovering from her groin injury, tallied a respectable 12 points and nine assists and was one of four Fever players who put up double-digit scores.
The Fever's 59 second-half points against the Dream are their most points in any half this season and are tied for their most points in any half in the last seven seasons, according to ESPN's Alexa Philippou. They rank as the third-most points ever scored in a half in Fever franchise history.
"We just played with really great pace, I thought we moved the ball, I thought we cut hard which opened up the three-point line for us, and then we knocked down some shots," Clark said after the win. "But also I thought our defense was really good, I think it was both sides of the ball—kind of felt like how we should get back out there and play every single game."
As accustomed as Clark is to making history on the court, her teammates were the ones who enjoyed the spotlight this time around.
Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell had a team-high 25 points, extending her double-digit scoring streak to 20 games. Sophie Cunningham recorded her second career double-double (and first with the Fever) with 16 points and a career-high 10 rebounds. Natasha Howard became the 43rd player in WNBA history to record 400 career steals, while Aliyah Boston became the first player from the 2023 WNBA draft class to play 100 career games.
That's a whole lot of career history for the Fever (10-10), who seem to be gelling nicely halfway through the season. Having a healthy Clark back in the lineup is just the cherry on top.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Caitlin Clark, Fever Make Special Franchise History After Big Win vs. Dream.
