Caitlin Clark’s Double-Double Leads Fever Past Mystics, WNBA Fans Hype Winning Streak

Timothy Rapp@@TRappaRTFeatured Columnist IVJune 20, 2024

Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images

The Indiana Fever are figuring it out.

Led by Caitlin Clark’s 18 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and four steals, the Fever earned their third straight win Wednesday night, beating the Washington Mystics 88-81.

Indiana Fever @IndianaFeverCaitlin Clark scores 5 points in 14 seconds 🔥

she buries a DEEP three and then grabs the steal and lays it in. pic.twitter.com/RKQDy1Esyy

Indiana Fever @IndianaFeverCaitlin Clark buries a three to put us up 9 in the fourth 🎯 pic.twitter.com/bBKBSdXiWl

WNBA @WNBAGet out of the way when AB is comin’ through 😤

Aliyah Boston converts on the AND-1

📲 Fever-Mystics on League Pass pic.twitter.com/a3XIuyGKla

It’s the Fever’s longest winning streak of the season, moving them to 6-10. After a 1-8 start, the team has won five of its last seven games.

As you might expect, Fever fans were hype following the victory, and pundits were impressed by the winning streak:

whitney medworth @its_whitneyTHE FEVER HAVE WON 3 IN A ROW pic.twitter.com/MoDVuHGPha

Rich Hopkins – The Win Anyway Guy @RichHopkinsCaitlin Clark, while still turning it over too much (but she handles it ALL the time for 37 minutes a game), is really settling in. Not needing to be the savior. Using Boston and Mitchell. Team play. RotY is hers for taking. #Fever #Mystics #WNBA pic.twitter.com/kcrRg6bOnw

Eric Wilson @ericjwilson14Don’t look now, but the Fever are starting to gel and get hot 👀🔥 https://t.co/SmIOnSAgsH

On3 Hawkeye Images @webcentrickI’m turning the corner on the Fever (and Sides for that matter). Mitchell and Clark are gonna be one helluva back court. AB looks like she’s back in shape. Understood happening with the lesser competition but this is just what the doctor ordered.

Sydney Affolter America’s National Treasure @kinnick519Imagine what the record of the Indiana Fever would be if they didn’t have to run that ridiculous gauntlet of games throughout the month of May.

Indiana is 6-10 and look like they’re playing like a team.

Derek Larger @derek_largerThat may have been the most complete Fever game of the entire year. Nearly 5 players with double digits! Great way to enter the road trip they’re about to go on!

Ni @BlackNmajestic1That was good all around team win…even from Wheeler. lol. #Fever.

dolphin90025🐬 @dolphin90025Terrific game by the Fever and Caitlin continues to pad the rookie stats. No one can ever make me hate this girl.

The continued evolution of Clark has played a big role in that streak, though she’s had plenty of help. Aliyah Boston chipped in with 22 points and eight boards on Wednesday, while Kelsey Mitchell had 22 points of her own.

Ariel Atkins did everything she could to keep the Mystics in the game, leading all scorers with 27 points, but her teammates couldn’t match that pace.

Suddenly, the Fever can realistically think about the possibility of a playoff push. Granted, there’s a lot of season left to be played, but Indiana holds the No. 8 seed and appears to be settling into a nice groove.

Clark continues to play well, though she has plenty of room for growth. Turnovers remain an issue (six against the Mystics), and she hasn’t hit on her three-pointers at the expected rate (32.8 percent heading into Wednesday night).

But the Fever are learning how to better play as a unit, and the win over the Mystics was a good indication of how dangerous they could be when they start hitting on all cylinders. Boston gives them a legitimate threat down low, while the team has solid role players behind her and Clark.

It was a rough start this season for the Fever. But they’re clearly finding a groove.