The Indiana Fever were in top form Sunday. And as a result, the first professional matchup between Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers wasn’t even close. Though Bueckers scored a game-high 21 points, the Fever matched their season high with a 102-83 victory over the Dallas Wings.
The Fever led by one point after the first period but hit another gear in the second quarter, outscoring the Wings 36-15. The Fever’s 64 first-half points were a franchise record for most points in a half. Indiana’s 64 points are the most any team has scored in a half this season, per ESPN Research.
Clark, who has missed nine games this season due to injury, finished with 14 points and 13 assists. It was her 17th career game with at least 10 assists, but first with 10-plus assists and two or fewer turnovers.
Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana with 20 points on 67% shooting (8 of 12). The Fever put five players in double-figure scoring, had 29 assists (one shy of their franchise record) and 58 points in the paint, their most in a game this season.
The two teams meet again Aug. 1 in Dallas, a game that was recently moved to the American Airlines Center. In Dallas and Indiana’s first matchup this season, Clark didn’t play due to a left groin issue. But that didn’t stop the Fever from beating the Wings 94-86 despite Bueckers’ 27 points and six assists.
Here’s how Indiana beat Dallas on Sunday.
Jump to: Analysis and result | Relive the action
0:24
Showtime! Clark heaves a beauty to Cunningham for a Fever bucket
Caitlin Clark launches a nearly full-court dime to Sophie Cunningham for an impressive Fever bucket.
Final: Indiana Fever 102, Dallas Wings 83
What does this victory mean for Indiana? The Fever (11-10) end their five-game homestand on a positive note with back-to-back wins over the Atlanta Dream and Dallas Wings. For a team that recently bemoaned its lack of consistency, the group has to be pleased with how it didn’t let its foot off the gas facing the six-win Wings. The offensive output was particularly impressive, with 201 points tallied over the past two games. Coach Stephanie White has talked about the importance of stacking games like this, so the test now will be to finish out the pre-All-Star slate strong — the Fever play at the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday and at the New York Liberty on Wednesday — and get multiple games above .500 for the first time this season.
What the game means for the Wings? The Wings need to figure out their defense. It was tough to watch the way they were constantly beat in transition, particularly in the second quarter, by the Fever offense. Defense has been an Achilles’ heel for Dallas this season, but coach Chris Koclanes was hoping his team would come out with more intensity on that end of the floor after giving up big nights to Sami Whitcomb and Rebecca Allen. The opposite happened in the second quarter, where Indiana went on a 25-4 run that essentially decided the game.
Will Arike Ogunbowale find a groove this season? She was 0-for-10 from the field in her first game back from a thumb injury, but she was struggling to get incorporated into the offense even before she missed time. It’ll be interesting to watch how Koclanes’ backcourt rotations evolve as the season progresses, with rookies Aziaha James and JJ Quinerly seeing expanded roles in recent weeks.
0:21
Bueckers snatches rock from Clark, finishes with and-1
Paige Bueckers snatches the ball from Caitlin Clark and takes it coast-to-coast for a Wings and-1.
How did Clark and Bueckers play? Clark was proud of how she managed Friday’s game against Atlanta (12 points, 9 assists) and she one-upped that Sunday with a 14-point, 13-dime effort, good for her fifth double-double of the season and 19th of her career. Her shooting still isn’t quite as efficient as she’d like (4-for-12 from the field, 2-for-7 from 3), but Clark has reiterated that she’s trying to stay confident in her abilities and in the work she has put in. Another positive from Sunday: Clark made her presence felt defensively with a team-best five steals.
Bueckers led all scorers with 21 points on 9-for-15 shooting (2-for-4 from 3), her 17th consecutive game notching double figures to start her career. Only three other players in league history — A’ja Wilson (2018), Candace Parker (2008) and Natalie Williams (1999) — have had longer such streaks. Turnovers were a bit of an issue for Bueckers (four, tying her career high) and the rest of the Wings (18), which led to the Fever thriving in transition offense. — Alexa Philippou
