A late rally by Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever fell just short as the Atlanta Dream won 91-90 in a thrilling finish at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The Fever trailed by 11 entering the final quarter but started the fourth on an 11-4 run, keyed by two 3-pointers from Clark and one by Lexie Hull to make it 80-76. After the Dream worked their lead back up to nine with 4:33 to go, the Fever found another gear. Indiana proceeded on a 12-2 run, led by Kelsey Mitchell’s seven points, which included the game-tying layup with 1:04 remaining.
After a defensive stand on each end, Indiana’s Aliyah Boston was sent to the free throw line, where she missed the first and made the second to give the Fever a 90-89 lead with 21.1 seconds remaining. On the ensuing possession, Atlanta’s Rhyne Howard was fouled by Mitchell with 9.1 seconds on the clock. Howard made both of her free throws to make it 91-90.
Indiana’s Natasha Howard missed her shot at the buzzer to secure Atlanta’s win.
Clark finished with a game-high 27 points on 9-of-20 shooting, which included a 5-for-11 mark on 3-pointers. Clark added 11 assists, five rebounds and two steals. Brittney Griner led the Dream with 21 points and eight rebounds, while Howard scored 20.
Here is how the Fever vs. Dream game unfolded.
Fever vs. Dream highlights
Caitlin Clark stats tonight
Points: 27
Field goal shooting: 9 for 20
Free throw shooting: 4 for 6
3-point shooting: 5 for 11
Rebounds: 5
Assists: 11
Steals: 2
Blocks: 0
Turnovers: 3
Fouls: 3
End Q3: Dream 76, Fever 65
Atlanta opened things up in the third quarter.
Rhyne Howard was on another level to start the third, knocking down three three-pointers in the first minute and a half to spark an 11-0 run for the Dream. After Indiana got to within five at 57-52, Atlanta proceeded on a 15-7 run during the next three minutes to take a 14-point lead.
Caitlin Clark has a game-high 19 points with eight assists, five rebounds and two steals. Natasha Howard has a team-best 18 points for the Dream and Brionna Jones has 16 points and nine rebounds.
End Q2: Dream 44, Fever 42
After scoring only five points in the first quarter, Caitlin Clark more than tripled her output in the second, recording 11 points and sinking 2-of-3 shots from deep.
Clark has three triples on the night on five attempts, matching the Dream’s total three-pointers on less than one-third of the attempts. After attempting 11 three-pointers in the first, the Dream cooled off a bit, shooting just five in the second, but the team went 0-for-5 from beyond the arc.
While the Dream starters have been able to build leads for their team, the Dream have struggled when going to their bench. Not a single starter has a negative plus-minus through the first half, but their bench is a combined -12 on the night. If the Dream starters are forced out of the game, Indiana might have an easy time securing the win in the second half.
End Q1: Dream 31, Fever 23
The Dream got off to a sizzling start in this one, tallying eight points before Indiana could get their second basket. While the Fever did make a slight comeback in the middle of the quarter, the Dream eventually pulled away at the end, finishing the first ten minutes on a 13-7 run.
What really stands out is the lack of three-point attempts from Indiana. The Dream attempted 11 shots from beyond the arc in the first, while Indiana only attempted two, both from Caitlin Clark. While Atlanta only went 2-of-11 from three, it’s clearly opening up the Dream down low as they shot over 50% from the floor in the first quarter.
Atlanta’s Brionna Jones leads all scorers with 11 points so far. Clark has five for the Fever.
Dream starting lineup
Te-Hina Paopao
Allisha Gray
Rhyne Howard
Brionna Jones
Brittney Griner
Fever starting lineup
Caitlin Clark
Kelsey Mitchell
DeWanna Bonner
Natasha Howard
Aliyah Boston
What time is Fever vs. Dream WNBA game?
The Indiana Fever will play the Atlanta Dream at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Tuesday. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
How to watch Fever vs. Dream WNBA game: TV, stream
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis)
TV: NBATV, MeTV Indianapolis, PeachtreeTV (Atlanta)
Stream: WNBA League Pass