Caitlin Clark looked relaxed and fresh after a month off in her initial video game considering that watching Group U.S.A. win Olympic gold. The rookie celebrity racked up 29 points with 5 rebounds and 10 helps in leading the Indiana High temperature to a 98– 89 sway the Phoenix metro Mercury on Friday night.
Keeping that performance, Clark came to be the initial novice in WNBA hstory to rack up 450+ factors (474) iwth 200+ helps (223 ). She additionally had her nine game with 20+ factors, 5+ rebounds adn 5+ aids, moving closer to the document of 12 games with those overalls established last season by the New York Liberty’s Breanna Stewart.
Over her past 2 video games, Clark is also the first player to rack up 50+ points with 25+ assists in league background.
Indiana’s backcourt lugged the evening with Kelsey Mitchell tallying 28 factors and shooting 6-for-13 on 3-pointers. Aliyah Boston included 14 factors, followed by NaLyssa Smith’s 13. Both players grabbed nine rebounds.
The Mercury orignally looked exhausted, which would certainly have been understandable while playing the second of back-to-back video games to return to the WNBA period. Phoenix az played Thursday, obtaining an 85– 65 win over the CHicago Sky. And the group also had 3 starters play in last Sunday’s gold medal game for the U.S. females’s basketball group at the Paris Olympics.
However, after trailing by 28 points with 6 minutes remaining prior to halftime, the Mercury faught back to reduce their deficit to one factor (66-65) with one min left in the third quarter. Indiana kept its lead adn kept Phoenix metro away via the 4th, keeping a minimum of a five-point margin prior to opening it back up to double digits.
Kahleah Copper continued her standout efficiency from the Olympic gold medal game, following up Thursday’s 29-point effort with 32 against the High temperature, along with eight rebounds and 6 assists. The nine-year veteran made 18 of 19 free throws.
Natasha Cloud racked up 19 factors for Phoenix az, while likewise getting involved in a scuffle with Mitchell throughout the third quarter. Diana Taurasi included 16.
” That’s my dog. It’s two competitors. Me and Kelsey have been going at it for years,” Cloud claimed after the video game, by means of the Arizona Republic’s Dana Scott. “We played AAU together. I have nothing but love for her. You saw us at the end, also. It’s constantly enjoy. That’s just competitiveness of the video game.”
With the loss, the Mercury’s document dropped to 14– 13 with a 6– 9 mark when traveling. Phoenix metro shed all 3 of its games versus the High temperature this season.
Indiana enhances to 12– 15 (7– 5 in the house) and next play the Seattle Tornado on Sunday. Tip-off goes to 3:30 p.m. ET and the game iwll be televised on ABC. Also on Sunday, the Mercury host the Sky at 9 p.m. ET.
