Caitlin Clark drops 24 as Fever beat Sparks for first win of the WNBA season

Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell combined for 47 points as the Indiana Fever secured an 87-78 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday night. The Fever used a dominant second quarter and strong late-game execution to earn their first win of the season after opening with a narrow loss. Mitchell played a major role in helping Indiana take control before halftime, scoring 11 of her 23 points in the second quarter alone. She was nearly unstoppable during that stretch, knocking down all of her shots, including three 3-pointers. Clark added 24 points and nine assists, delivering several key baskets in the fourth quarter to stop the Sparks from completing a comeback.


The game remained close early, with Los Angeles cutting the deficit to three points midway through the second quarter. However, Indiana responded with a powerful scoring run to close the half, turning a tight contest into a comfortable lead. Contributions from Sophie Cunningham and Clark helped the Fever enter halftime ahead 48-34.


Indiana continued to dominate in the third quarter and extended its advantage to 21 points after a basket from Myisha Hines-Allen. The Sparks finally mounted pressure late in the game with an 11-3 run led by Kelsey Plum, who finished with a game-high 25 points. Dearica Hamby added 16 points and eight rebounds, while Cameron Brink chipped in with 11 points off the bench.


Despite the late rally, the Fever maintained composure and closed out the victory. Cunningham contributed 12 points and seven rebounds, while Aliyah Boston struggled offensively before fouling out in the fourth quarter.

The Sparks also suffered an injury setback when starting guard Ariel Atkins exited in the third quarter after a head injury. Both teams entered the matchup looking for their first win after season-opening defeats over the weekend.