RESOLVING THE LEDGER
This is one outlet's own report from Yahoo Sports — the article as it was filed. Other outlets are covering the same event; open the full story to compare every source side by side.
See the full story · 2 sourcesThe Indiana Fever picked up their fifth straight win on Friday night, taking down the Portland Fire, 112-98 at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.
Caitlin Clark had the fourth triple double of her career, notching 26 points, 10 assist, and 10 rebounds in 34 minutes. Kelsey Mitchell also had 26 points, while Monique Billings added on 15.
The Fever have moved up to fourth in the WNBA and will finish out their road trip on Sunday against the Minnesota Lynx. Here's what I liked and disliked about the game:
What I liked about Indiana Fever's win vs Portland Fire
Caitlin Clark's clutch shot: There isn't anything that Clark can't do. The Fever star, with less than five seconds left in the first quarter, sprinted down the court and three up a 3-pointer through contact. It was a shot, frankly, that looked like a desperate attempt to beat the buzzer. But it swished into the basket to give the Fever a two-point lead at the end of the quarter. Clark thought she was fouled too, but there wasn't one called.
Second-quarter takeaways: After what seemed like a lackluster first quarter, the Fever turned up their game in the second. Indiana picked up five steals in those 10 minutes, including a Sophie Cunningham steal that turned into a dime from Clark to Kelsey Mitchell, then an Aliyah Boston steal that turned into a knockdown 3-pointer from Cunningham. That helped the Fever to go on a 14-2 run throughout the quarter and extend their lead into halftime.
A pivotal challenge: With the Fire surging on a 16-4 run, getting within seven points with three minutes left in the game, Mitchell was called for an offensive foul for hitting Carla Leite in the face while going up for a floater. Fever coach Stephanie White called for a challenge, hoping to maintain her team's possession against a hot Fire team. That pivotal challenge was successful, as Leite committed a defensive foul before Mitchell's contact. It was crucial for the Fever, as they then got two free throws (Mitchell made both) and quieted the rowdy Portland crowd. Boston then nabbed a steal for a Makayla Timpson transition layup, and Indiana managed to get their composure back.
What I disliked about Indiana Fever's win vs Portland Fire
Early foul trouble: Lexie Hull only played six minutes before picking up her third foul on Friday night, and it came at the 7:27 mark of the second quarter. That foul trouble took Hull, a pesky defender, out of the rotation quickly, and she ended up playing just 13 minutes the entire game. The Fever managed to build up a lead with their offensive prowess, even without Hull on the floor, but she can't make a habit out of early fouls.
Nearly falling apart in fourth: With the first bucket of the fourth quarter, Indiana led by 20 points. But that lead quickly vanished. Portland went on a 16-4 run throughout the fourth quarter, using their crowd as fuel and getting back within seven points with three minutes left in the game. Indiana nearly had a total meltdown after three good quarters in Portland but managed to salvage a win through a strong offensive game.
What Indiana Fever's win vs Portland Fire means
This is the Fever's fifth straight win, and their fifth straight game scoring 105 or more points. Indiana is an offensive machine, and it seems like nothing can stop the Fever on that end of the floor. Their defense can use some work, sure, but they've shown that they're able to shoot any team out of the gym.
.oembed-frame {width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;border:0;}
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Caitlin Clark triple double, Sophie Cunningham lead Fever over Fire: Likes, dislikes
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.