The Indiana Fever have been without superstar Caitlin Clark for more than half of the season due to injury, but that hasn’t stopped the team from putting together its longest winning streak of the year.
The Fever defeated the Dallas Wings 88-78 on Friday, Aug. 1 at the American Airlines Center, extending Indiana’s winning streak to four games in a collective team effort. Four of five Indiana starters scored in double digits.
‘This is the second half of the season. We know the margin of error is very small,’ said guard Aari McDonald, who finished with 15 points, while hitting four of six 3-pointers. ‘When four people are in double figures and they are all offensive threats, I think that opens up the floor for us.’
Kelsey Mitchell led the way with 23 points and three assists. Aliyah Boston recorded her fifth consecutive double-double and is up to 13 double-doubles on the season, second only to to the Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese (17). Natasha Howard also finished with a double-double, tallying 11 points and 16 rebounds, which tied her career-high for rebounds.
The Fever improved to 16-2 on the season and 8-7 without Clark in the lineup.
The Fever dominated from beyond the arc, knocking down 12-of-28 3-pointers. The Wings were limited to two 3-pointers and were out-rebounded 44-30, including 14 offensive rebounds for Indiana compared to four for Dallas.
The Fever now lead the regular-season series vs. the Wings, 3-0. Indiana won the first matchup of the season 94-86 without Clark, who was sidelined at the time with a left groin injury. Fans got the highly-anticipated matchup between Clark and Bueckers on July 13 in Indianapolis, which the Fever won 102-83. Clark had 14 points, 13 assists and five steals in that victory, while Bueckers had 21 points and two steals in the loss.
USA TODAY sports had full coverage of Friday night’s game. Scroll below for highlights and a recap by quarter.
Indiana Fever vs. Dallas Wings: Full highlights
Paige Bueckers returns after hard fall
Bueckers checked back into the game at the beginning of the fourth quarter after suffering a hard fall in the third quarter. Bueckers got right back to business and is up to a game-high 22 points, cutting the Wings’ deficit to six points with 5:33 remaining in the game.
End of Q3: Fever 68, Wings 57
The Fever have a 13-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, led by 18 points and three rebounds from Kelsey Mitchell. Aliyah Boston and Natasha Howard are both closing in on double-doubles. Boston added 10 points and eight rebounds, while Howard is up to nine points and 13 rebounds.
Paige Bueckers appeared to be shaken up in the third quarter after fighting through a screen set by the Fever’s Boston with 4:03 remaining. Bueckers went down hard and appeared to grab her right thigh area as she writhed in pain on the ground. She was able to get up under her own power before limping over to the bench. Buckers had a team-high 18 points, three rebounds and two assists before being subbed out.
No other Wings player has reached double-digits in scoring and they have yet to knock down a 3-pointer (0-of-8) so far. Myisha Hines-Allen has nine points off the bench, while Arike Ogunbowale added eight points and five assists.
Halftime: Fever 48, Wings 42
The Fever led by as many as eight points in the second quarter and take a six point lead into halftime. The Fever are 13-4 this season when leading at halftime, while the Wings are 1-17 when trailing at the half.
Natasha Howard is up to nine points and eight rebounds, while Kelsey Mitchell also scored nine points. The Fever have lived in the paint, scoring 24 of their 48 points from close range, but the addition of Chloe Bibby has helped Indiana stretch the floor. She’s up to six points off the bench, shooting a perfect 2-of-2 from the 3-point line.
Paige Bueckers has a game-high 15 points, three assists, two rebounds and no turnovers. Bueckers has reached double-digit points in all 23 games she’s played in her rookie season. Arike Ogunbowale has six points, and Myisha Hines-Allen added seven points off the bench. Haley Jones was limited in the second quarter with four fouls after picking up two fouls in a matter of 13 seconds.
The Wings are 0-of-5 from three, but they’ve knocked down 12-of-13 free throws to remain close. The Fever are 5-of-15 from beyond the arc and 7-of-9 from the free throw line.
End of Q1: Fever 22, Wings 22
Things are all tied up after a back-and-forth first quarter that featured four ties and one lead change.
Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell has a game-high seven points, while forward Natasha Howard is closing in on her seventh double-double of the season with six points and seven rebounds after the first quarter.
Indiana is out-rebounding Dallas 13-9, including five offensive rebounds, but the Wings have managed to get to the free throw line more. Dallas had nine free throw attempts in the first, compared to one for Indiana.
Paige Bueckers leads the Wings with five points, while Myisha Hines-Allen added five points off the bench.
Caitlin Clark injury update: Fever guard ruled out
The Fever All-Star guard will not be available for Friday’s matchup against the Wings due to a right groin injury that has kept her sidelined for six consecutive games. Clark suffered the injury in the final minute of the Fever’s win over Connecticut on July 15, another setback in Clark’s injury-riddled sophomore season.
What time is Indiana Fever vs. Dallas Wings?
The Dallas Wings will host the Indiana Fever at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Aug. 1 at the American Airlines Center, home of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. The game will be broadcast on ION.
How to watch Indiana Fever vs. Dallas Wings: TV, stream
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: American Airlines Center (Dallas)
TV channel: ION
Streaming: WNBA League Pass
Indiana Fever starting lineup
With Clark sidelined with an injury, the Fever’s starting lineup is made up of Aari McDonald, Kelsey Mitchell, Sophie Cunningham, Natasha Howard and Aliyah Boston. This lineup has made five starts this season and is 3-2.
Fever signs Chloe Bibby for the rest of the season
On Friday, the Fever announced that the team signed Australian forward Chloe Bibby for the rest of the year. Fever initially signed Bibby to a seven-day contract on July 25 and she went on to appear in two games, averaging 9.0 points while shooting 44.4% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc.
Dallas Wings starting lineup
The Wings are sending Paige Bueckers, Luisa Geiselsoder, Haley Jones, Arike Ogunbowale and JJ Quinerly. This lineup has made two starts together and gone 1-1.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.