Caitlin Clark maintained her hot start to the new WNBA season on Tuesday – making history in the process – but the Indiana Fever fell to their first defeat of the 2025 season against the Atlanta Dream, 91-90.
Rhyne Howard made a go-ahead free throw with 9.1 seconds remaining to help the Dream eke out the victory over the Fever as Indiana’s late rally fell short at a raucous Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, which had two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson and 2021 NASCAR champion Kyle Larson in attendance.
Indiana trailed 76-65 at the start of the fourth quarter but showed incredible spirit to claw its way back into the game. The Fever’s comeback was sparked by two deep three-pointers from Clark before a free throw from Aaliyah Boston – who finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks – with 21.7 seconds left gave the team a 90-89 lead, their first since going up 2-0 in the opening moments of the contest.
But the Dream were able to get in front once again through Howard and Indiana’s Natasha Howard had two chances to snatch a late win, but had one shot blocked and another bounce off the rim.
Clark had a game-high 27 points while also adding five rebounds, 11 assists and two steals. In doing so, the second-year point guard set a record for the most 25-point, 10-assist games in WNBA history, passing three-time All-Star Sabrina Ionescu, per ESPN.
Having opened the season with a victory, the Fever fall to 1-1 on the young season, but Clark afterwards said the loss will help Indiana in the long run.
“Yes, this stinks. We wanted to win this game, but this is great for our team,” Clark said. “A little adversity – how are we going to respond? We have a chance to go there and play them (again). We can get a little redemption if we go down there and play well.
“I have to give my team a lot of credit; we never gave up. We found a way to get back in it.”
Indiana’s Mitchell, however, was critical of the Fever’s performance against the Dream.
“Today, we failed miserably as a group because there were certain things set in stone for us to be effective from quarter one to quarter four,” Mitchell said. “And you guys didn’t see what it was supposed to look like until quarter three-and-a-half.
“So it kinds of just lies in the discipline right now … awareness, knowing personnel. Certain stuff we have to home in on to be successful. Our lulls were too low. They can’t be that low. We don’t have that margin for error.”
Indiana’s Kelsey Mitchell had 24 points while Atlanta were led on the night by Brittney Griner who put up 21 points and eight rebounds. Howard added 20 points and Brionna Jones had 19 points and 13 rebounds for the Dream.
The two teams take to the court again on Thursday night in Atlanta’s State Farm Arena.
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