INDIANAPOLIS — Caitlin Clark started strong, finishing with 29 points and 10 assists, while Kelsey Mitchell added 28 points and the Indiana Fever fended off a ferocious second-half rally from the Phoenix Mercury to pull off a crucial 98-89 win on Friday night.
In their first game since the Olympic hiatus, Mitchell made six 3-pointers and Clark made four as the Fever celebrated the resumption of the WNBA season and added a new twist to the budding rivalry between Clark and three-time league champion Diana Taurasi.
Indiana won the three-game season series against Phoenix, with Clark recording his 10th double-double of his rookie season.
Kaalia Copper, one of three U.S. Olympic gold medalists from Phoenix, led the Mercury with 32 points and eight rebounds.
The other two, Taurasi and Brittney Griner, combined for just 12 points in the first half but scored 16 and 10 points, respectively, in the second half.
The rivalry began in April when Taurasi predicted Clark, the No. 1 overall pick, would face a tough test in his first pro season.
Phoenix added fuel to the fire this week when they posted a Twitter video of a young fan asking, “Who’s Kaitlyn? I’m here for Taurasi,” and two brief brawls broke out during the match.
However, perhaps it was fatigue from the Olympic Games or Two away games in two daysTaurasi and his teammates had a sluggish start and it cost them dearly as the Mercury fell behind 48-20 midway through the second quarter.
But once Taurasi and Griner got going, the Mercury fought back ferociously.
They cut the halftime deficit to 54-37 and then opened the second half with a 25-7 run to lead 62-61 late in the third quarter.
That didn’t last long.
The Fever capped off a 12-3 run with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Katie Lou Samuelson to take a 73-65 lead at the end of the quarter and never trailed after that.
