Clark roars back after WNBA's Olympic break; Fever swarm Phoenix 98-89

Caitlin Clark looked re-energized after taking a month off for the WNBA Olympic break.

The Phoenix Mercury’s three U.S. Olympic team members couldn’t keep up with her Friday night.

Clark scored 13 of her 29 points in the first quarter, added 10 assists and four 3-pointers and helped the Indiana Fever fend off Phoenix’s furious second-half rally to restart the season with a critical 98-89 victory.

It wasn’t just Clark, who posted her 10th double-double of the season, either.

Kelsey Mitchell made six 3-pointers and finished with 28 points and Aliyah Boston outplayed Brittney Griner, finishing with 14 points and nine rebounds as the Fever swept the three-game season series to add even more fuel to the budding rivalry between Clark and three-time WNBA champion Diana Taurasi.

But whether it was Indiana (12-15) being motivated by the chance to face three Olympians, having a chance at their first season sweep of any team since 2020 or the Mercury dealing with the fatigue of the Paris Games followed by two road games in two days, Taurasi and her teammates certainly weren’t themselves early as the Mercury (14-13) fell into a 48-20 deficit midway through the second quarter.

Caitlin added yet another milestone to her inaugural season when she became the first rookie to score 450 points and 200 assists. In fact, only five other players have reached that plateau in the history of the WNBA.



(AP Photo Darron Cummngs)