{"id":21308,"date":"2025-06-28T08:14:12","date_gmt":"2025-06-28T08:14:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/21308\/"},"modified":"2025-06-28T08:14:12","modified_gmt":"2025-06-28T08:14:12","slug":"fever-win-without-caitlin-clark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/21308\/","title":{"rendered":"Fever win without Caitlin Clark"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Is Caitlin Clark the best player in the WNBA?<\/p>\n

USA Today’s Meghan Hall breaks down how the Fever struggled in Caitlin Clark’s absence and how big of a difference maker she is on the court.<\/p>\n

Sports Seriously<\/p>\n

One night after giving up a double-digit fourth quarter lead in a loss to the Los Angeles Sparks<\/a>, the Indiana Fever <\/a>found themselves in an eerily similar position on Friday against the Dallas Wings.<\/a><\/p>\n

The Fever dropped yet another late lead, but held off the surging Wings to win 94-86 on the road in front of a star-studded crowd at the American Airlines Center that included Mavericks stars Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg.<\/a><\/p>\n

“We know that teams are going to go on runs. … So for us, it’s about making sure that we stay together and continue to execute defensively and offensively. I think we did a great job of that,” Aliyah Boston said postgame.<\/p>\n

Indiana, which was without Caitlin Clark for the second consecutive game due to a left groin injury<\/a>, came out strong and led by as many as 23 points, but the Wings took their first lead of the game with 5:29 remaining, 80-79. The Fever responded by closing the game on a 14-6 run to move to 8-8 on the season and 3-4 without Clark.<\/p>\n

CAITLIN CLARK: <\/strong>Injury complicates shooting slump; experts weigh in<\/a><\/p>\n

Kelsey Mitchell had a season-high 32 points and seven assists. Boston added 21 points and six rebounds. Four of the Fever’s five starters reached double-digits and every player that entered the game scored.<\/p>\n

Paige Bueckers had 27 points and six assists in the loss. Arike Ogunbowale added 15 points but was held scoreless in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n

Missed the action between the Indiana Fever and Dallas Wings? We got you covered with a recap and highlights of Friday’s intense showdown:<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The Fever led by as many as 23 points, but the Wings cut the deficit to five points heading into the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n

The Wings outscored the Fever 26-18 in the third quarter. Paige Bueckers led the charge and has a team-high 20 points, while Arike Ogunbowale scored nine of her 15 points in the third quarter.<\/p>\n

“We’ve had to fight the entire season, even (when) we get down big. But we just have to play a whole 40 minutes … it all starts on the defensive end for us,” Bueckers said ahead of the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n

Kelsey Mitchell has a game-high 26 points for the Fever, while Aliyah Boston has added 19 points. Friday’s game seems eerily similar to the Fever’s loss on Thursday. The Fever had a 10-point lead over the Los Angeles Sparks<\/a> with 9:26 remaining in the contest, but the Fever were outscored 35-17 in the final period and the Sparks went on to win 85-75<\/a>. Can Indiana hold off the surging Wings and maintain its fourth-quarter lead?<\/p>\n

Paige Bueckers gave fans in the American Airlines Center something to cheer for heading into halftime. Bueckers picked off a pass from the Fever’s Lexie Hull\u00a0with 3 seconds remaining in the second quarter and sank a deep 3 over Aliyah Boston to beat the buzzer and cut the Wings’ deficit to 56-43 at halftime.<\/p>\n

Bueckers is the only Wings player to reach double-digits (12 points), but Arike Ogunbowale started to find her shot and scored six points in the second quarter.<\/p>\n

The Fever have been shooting the lights out. The team is collectively shooting 74.1% from the field and 57.1% from 3. Every Fever player that has touched the floor has scored, led by a game-high 19 points from Kelsey Mitchell.<\/p>\n

One No. 1 overall pick descended upon the American Airlines Center to watch another.<\/p>\n

Cooper Flagg,<\/a> the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft<\/a>, was in the house to watch the Fever take on the Wings and Paige Bueckers, who just so happens to be the No. 1 overall selection of the 2025 WNBA Draft. Flagg was drafted first overall by the Dallas Mavericks<\/a>, who also call the American Airlines Center home. Caitlin Clark, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft, is also in the building, but she won’t play due to injury.<\/p>\n

Watch: <\/strong>Cooper Flagg attends Dallas Wings WNBA game, praises Caitlin Clark<\/a><\/p>\n

The Fever held the Wings to a season-low 13 points in the first quarter, and Indiana has a 33-13 advantage heading into the second quarter after leading by as many as 22 points. The Fever sprinted out of the gate and went on a 14-0 run. The Fever only missed three goals in the first quarter (shooting 13-for-16) and led the Wings in fast break (10-0) and paint points (18-10).<\/p>\n

Kelsey Mitchell leads the Fever with 10 points and three assists. Aliyah Boston added seven points. The Fever\u2019s 33 first-quarter points marked a season-high. Meanwhile, the Fever\u2019s defense made it hard for the Wings\u2019 starting unit, which was held to three points, all from Bueckers. Myisha Hines-Allen added six points off the bench.<\/p>\n

What time is Indiana Fever vs. Dallas Wings?<\/p>\n

The Indiana Fever face off against the Dallas Wings at 7:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. local) on Friday, June 27 at American Airlines Center in Dallas.<\/p>\n

How to watch Indiana Fever vs. Dallas Wings: TV, stream<\/p>\n