Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark made WNBA postseason history Tuesday, becoming the first player to record a points-assists double-double before halftime of a playoff game. The Fever won 99-89 to avoid elimination Tuesday and force a deciding Game 3 on Thursday.
Clark finished with 27 points, 15 assists and seven rebounds before fouling out with 2:45 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Fever leading 92-83. Clark become the first player in WNBA history to score at least 25 points and record 15 assists in a game (regular season or playoffs).
Jackie Young led the Aces with 31 points. Las Vegas’ A’Ja Wilson, who scored 22, received a technical foul in the fourth quarter for an interaction with a fan. OutKick will have a story on the incident as more information is gathered.
Facing elimination in Game 2 against the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, Clark put on a clinic, leading a wild turnaround after a second-quarter technical foul to give Indiana a big lead at the break.
Frustrated with the officiating following an apparent flop by Aces guard Mai Yamamoto amid heavy physical pressure, Clark picked up a technical foul late in the frame.
Poking the bear backfired for the Aces.
As the floor general, Clark channeled that fire immediately into a furious 24-6 surge, leading a Fever attack that forced eight second-quarter turnovers and outscored the Aces 30-17 in the frame to grab a 48-43 halftime lead.
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Clark posted 14 points and 11 assists in just 19 minutes, dishing 11 of Indiana’s 13 team assists while feeding Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston for 30 first-half points in the paint.
The third-year Fever sensation is following up a regular season where she earned AP Comeback Player of the Year and First Team All-WNBA honors, becoming the first player in league history to stack 800-plus points and 300-plus assists in a single campaign.
As she hunts her first WNBA playoff series victory, Clark’s historic half proved once again that when the pressure cooks she owns the moment.
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