Kelsey Mitchell scored 27 points, and Caitlin Clark added 26 and 11 assists as the Indiana Fever held off the host Chicago Sky for a 90-86 victory on Saturday at the United Center.
Aliyah Boston had 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Fever (20-12), who shot 51.5% to avoid a third consecutive loss and beat the Sky (12-20) for an eighth consecutive time. Mitchell has scored at least 20 in 16 straight contests, while Clark received her eighth technical of the season, and, if it is upheld, could face a one-game suspension.
Natasha Cloud and Rachael Banham each had 17 points for the Sky, who made 9 of 22 3-point attempts but fell short after winning three of their previous four games.
Chicago’s DiJonai Carrington scored eight points in 3 1/2 minutes but was ejected with 1:59 remaining in the first quarter for a Flagrant 2 hard foul on Indiana’s Sophie Cunningham.
The Sky trailed 73-62 early in the fourth quarter but went on an 8-0 run, fueled by 3-pointers from Azura Stevens and Jacy Sheldon. Clark answered with her own 3-pointer with 7:23 left in regulation to push the Fever’s lead to 76-70.
With Indiana ahead 77-72, Mitchell made a basket, then back-to-back 3-pointers to stretch the lead to 13. However, Cloud and Banham combined for the game’s next seven points to get Chicago to within 85-79 with 2:58 remaining.
The Sky then got within 89-86 on a Sheldon 3-pointer with 28.4 seconds left, but Clark made one of two free throws at the 17.9-second mark to seal the win.
Indiana opened the game on an 8-0 run, with six coming from Boston, who had 10 in the opening period as the visitors opened a 13-5 edge. However, Chicago made nine of its final 12 shots to lead 23-22 after one quarter.
Banham scored the first four points of the second quarter for a 27-22 Chicago lead, but the Fever answered with five straight points, including four from Clark. Things remained tight at 33-33 before Mitchell scored eight straight points, Clark banked in a 27-foot 3-pointer, and Makayla Timpson (10 points) added a layup during the Fever’s 13-0 surge that gave them a 46-33 lead with 2:19 remaining in the first half.
Clark had 12 second-quarter points as Indiana led 53-42 at the break. She scored the first basket of the third, and Mitchell followed with a layup to put the Fever up 57-42.
Indiana built its lead to 17, but Chicago used a 9-0 run, highlighted by a Banham 3-pointer and four points from Cloud, to get to within 66-59. However, Clark knocked down a 3-pointer with 1:39 left in the third to make it a 10-point contest.
–Field Level Media
