Caitlin Clark set a franchise record with 45 points and 10 assists, the first 40-point, 10-assist game in WNBA history, as Indiana beat Seattle 110-107 Friday.
Caitlin Clark scored a career-high and franchise-record 45 points with 10 assists Friday, the first 40-point, 10-assist game in WNBA history, helping Indiana Fever beat Seattle Storm 110-107 before 17,274 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Clark's 45 broke her own team's record of 38, held by Kelsey Mitchell, and ties her for sixth-most in a single game in league history alongside Elena Delle Donne, Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson. Along the way she became the fastest player ever to 200 career made 3-pointers, getting there in 74 games and beating Katie Smith's old mark by seven, and passed Tully Bevilaqua for fifth on Indiana's all-time 3-point list. It was her 20th career points-assists double-double, tied for fourth-most in WNBA history with Chelsea Gray. She said she just had a feeling about this one going in.
"I felt like some nights you just know you have it, even before the ball tips, and I felt like this was going to be one of those nights," Clark said. "I struggled a little bit getting back into the groove after missing a couple of weeks, so I thought this was a good opportunity to come out and be aggressive early. I also knew my team needed that, especially with AB out."
With Aliyah Boston sidelined due to injury, Makayla Timpson earned her first career start. Indiana led 37-26 at the end of the first quarter with 17 points from Mitchell, tying a franchise record. Seattle fought back to make it 59-56 at halftime despite trailing by as many as 17. The Storm even took the lead at 88-88 in the third before extending it to eight midway through the fourth.
The Fever tied it at 102-102, and with 54.9 seconds left, Clark blocked Flau'jae Johnson's layup after a turnover had briefly handed Seattle the ball back. Indiana regained possession, and about 15 seconds later, Clark buried a deep step-back three to put the Fever up 105-102.
"They kind of blew up our after-timeout play. They played good defense and got a tip on the ball. I chased it down and got the deflection," Clark said. "I wanted the official to inbound the ball quickly because I wanted to play fast before they could set their defense. She made a couple of good plays on the ball, but I eventually got her out of position, stepped back to my left, and it went in."
White called Clark's defensive play one of the biggest moments of the night.
"It was huge. Not only to get a hand on it and strip it, but to maintain possession," White said. "I thought she had three really important defensive possessions in the last four minutes. Her confidence is growing on that end of the floor, and that was another momentum-changing play." White said the group needed a mindset shift once Seattle pulled ahead late. "We talked about having a 'cutthroat' mentality. We had to get stops. Mo's defense was outstanding down the stretch. KK's hustle play, diving on the floor to save that possession, was probably the play of the game."
It was close until the final buzzer. Malonga scored twice down the stretch to keep Seattle within a possession, and Clark, who went 17-of-19 on free throws, sealed it at the line in the closing seconds before Natisha Hiedeman's last-second shot from beyond half-court missed at the buzzer.
"I thought I was aggressive. I started something like 2-for-5 from the field, but I didn't get discouraged," Clark said. "The thing I'm most proud of is that all four of my turnovers came in the first half. I really took care of the ball in the second half." She also brushed off any suggestion her minutes should've been managed more carefully given her restriction. "Steph knows better than that. The trainers know better than that. They would've gotten an earful. I told Steph at halftime I felt really good, and I didn't want to lose this game. There was no way I was coming out in the fourth quarter. I'd play with one leg."
Mitchell finished with 30 points, her ninth straight 20-point game, tying the fifth-longest streak in league history and the longest active streak in the WNBA. It was her 40th consecutive double-digit game, a franchise record and the second-longest active streak behind Wilson's 46. She and Clark became the fourth Fever duo to score 30 in a game, with their 75-point combined total setting a franchise record, with the previous mark being 66.
Monique Billings scored 16 points, and Timpson set a career high with nine rebounds, including eight offensive boards, the third-most in franchise history.
"This was a tough first start because they're really good, long, athletic and fast," Clark said. "She's put in the work. The confidence she has now, and everybody else has in her, is exciting. She's probably the most athletic player I've ever played with."
Timpson credited the buildup, not the moment, for her readiness.
"Just putting the work in and being consistent. My teammates and coaches believe in me, so I have to believe in myself," Timpson said. "That confidence has been showing."
Malonga led Seattle (6-21) with 28 points and 14 rebounds for her 11th career double-double. She became the youngest and only 20-year-old WNBA player to reach 100 offensive rebounds. Awa Fam scored 16 points on 5-of-6 shooting, going 4-for-4 from three in the third quarter. Additionally, all five Seattle starters scored at least 15 points, marking a franchise first.
"We need to be proud of ourselves because we're continuing to grow. What we did in the third quarter was amazing. We played with 100 percent energy," Fam said. "I'm proud of Dom, too. She had an amazing game. We just have to get her the ball because she's going to do whatever she wants with it."
Malonga emphasized the free-throw disparity, with Indiana's 31 attempts versus Seattle's 18, as a key factor in the outcome.
"It's difficult when they shoot 31 free throws and we shoot 18. In crunch time there were a lot of no-calls for us and calls on the other end," Malonga said. "That's something we've dealt with for several games now, and it's becoming consistent, so that's concerning. But overall, I'm really proud of our effort."
Storm coach Sonia Raman felt the bigger problem was how the game started, despite the free throw disparity being lopsided.
"Dom took 22 shots, 19 of them were two-point attempts, and most of those came in the paint. She only shot two free throws. There was a lot of physicality that wasn't called," Raman said. "But when you give up 37 points in the first quarter, that's a huge hole to climb out of. I think our team showed resiliency. They're going to battle, and it shows the mental toughness of this young group."
Indiana's 110 points tied for fourth-most in franchise history and were the Fever's ninth 100-point game of the season, tying the WNBA record set by the Phoenix Mercury in 2006.
Seattle visits the Minnesota Lynx on Monday. Indiana hosts the New York Liberty on Saturday.
