Indiana Fever fans got something special Friday night. Caitlin Clark went off for a career-high 45 points in a 110-107 win over the Seattle Storm. And honestly, this was a game that could’ve slipped away.
The Storm led 88-82 heading into the fourth quarter. Seattle looked in control. But Clark had other plans. She scored 15 of her 45 in the final frame, and the Fever outscored the Storm 28-19 over the last 10 minutes to steal it.
Clark’s stat line was absurd
In 29 minutes, she put up 45 points, 10 assists, four steals, two rebounds and two blocks. She shot 11-of-18 from the field, hit 6-of-10 from three and went 17-of-19 from the free-throw line. That’s efficiency. That’s also a career high, obviously. You don’t accidentally score 45 in a WNBA game.
It’s easy to forget this is only Clark’s third season in the league. She dealt with some injury issues in Year 2 but she’s back now and she’s making it look easy. She’s one of those players who warps how a defense has to play you. You can’t go under screens because she’ll pull from anywhere. You can’t overplay the three because she’ll drive and either finish or find an open teammate.
She had help, but not as much as you’d think
Kelsey Mitchell dropped 30 points on 13-of-25 shooting. She hit three threes and gave Clark a legit second option all night. Monique Billings added 16 points and five boards. Makayla Timpson put up eight points and nine rebounds. But after that, the Fever’s scoring fell off a cliff. Nobody else hit double figures.
That’s partly why the game stayed tight. Indiana couldn’t build a big lead because the supporting cast was inconsistent. But when you’ve got a guard who can score 45 and dish out 10 assists, you can survive some uneven contributions.
The Fever improved to 15-10 with the win. That puts them atop the Eastern Conference standings, ahead of Atlanta and New York. Indiana is hosting the Liberty on July 18 at 8 p.m. ET. That one should be fun.
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