Fever breaks the record streak when Caitlin Clark pushes the team over.500.
Texas’s Arlington The Indiana Fever defeated the Dallas Wings 100-93 on Sunday, pushing them over the.500 mark for the first time in five years behind the play of Caitlin Clark, who finished with 28 points and 12 assists.
According to the Elias Sports Burea, the Fever, who now stand at 17-16 after the win, had gone 189 straight games without a winning record, a WNBA record.
Despite Arike Ogunbowale’s record-tying nine 3-pointers, which she made on 9 of 16 attempts from long range (beating her previous career best of seven) and 34 points, Indiana managed to win.
The MVP of the All-Star Game missed two chances to tie the record with his tenth 3-pointer, one of which came with the Wings behind by six points in the last minute.
With eight rebounds, Ogunbowale tied a career high and equaled the league record for threes held by Jewell Loyd of Seattle (2023) and Kelsey Mitchell (2019).
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Mitchell, a guard for the Fever, said, “I salute people like Arike because off the court, we’re really great friends.” “In the off-season, we usually train and work out together. I didn’t think that individual would act in any other manner.”
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With 1:58 left, Mitchell scored 36 points, including a 3-pointer that gave the Fever a four-point advantage. The Fever shot 53% overall and 50% from long range as Clark and Mitchell combined for five 3-pointers apiece, going 10-of-18 overall.
“When you have two guards that are both making plays, it puts the other team in the tough position of what to take away, who to put on who,” Clark stated. “It’s clear that we’re filming it well. We’re interacting well with one another. In addition to searching for one another, we are also losing ground. Everything has seemed to be in nice proportion, in my opinion.
After defeating the Chicago Sky and fellow Rookie of the Year contender Angel Reese, Clark scored a career-high 31 points.
In her first regular-season game in Texas, a 101-93 loss to Indiana while the Fever were just outside the postseason picture, Clark set a WNBA record with 19 assists.
Indiana is now assured of a spot in the playoffs, while the Wings(9–23) are still trying to bounce back after a poor start brought on by multiple critical injuries. With eight games left, Dallas, which won its first playoff series last year, is two games out of the final postseason slot. Since the Olympic break, the Fever have gone 6-1, with three of those wins coming away from home.
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The prize is six straight home games, beginning on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Sparks in last place, leading up to the regular-season home finale versus Washington.
“It is clearly stated there. We just talk about depleting our energy constantly,” Indiana head coach Christie Sides stated. “I’m proud of the way they’re playing, especially in away games. The away games have not been easy. We just keep talking about momentum while pressing the gas pedal.
In the third quarter, Ogunbowale made her eighth 3-pointer. However, she was fouled for failing to provide Mitchell with a landing spot.
After the Wings’ unsuccessful challenge, Ogunbowale was assessed a technical foul.
On that play, the Fever scored five baskets, bringing their deficit to 67-64. Less than two minutes before, Dallas had built its largest lead at 64-55.
With 39 seconds left, Mitchell made two more free throws following her game-winning three, and the Fever led 99-91 after eight consecutive points.
For the Wings, Natasha Howard finished with 18 points and nine assists, while Satou Sabally scored 25 points. For Indiana, NaLyssa Smith finished with 14 points and 8 rebounds.