The Indiana Fever secured a decisive 88-71 victory over the Connecticut Sun on June 17 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, propelled by Caitlin Clark’s game-high 20 points.
The win clinched Indiana’s spot in the Commissioner’s Cup Final.
Clark shot 6-of-12 from the field, including 4-of-6 from three-point range and six assists.
Natasha Howard dominated inside, recording her 50th double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Kelsey Mitchell contributed 17 points, extending her double-digit scoring streak to 11 games.
The Fever (6-5) never trailed, steadily building their lead throughout the contest. They led 24-23 after the first quarter, extended it to 47-39 by halftime and blew the game open with a 21-13 third quarter, taking a commanding 68-52 advantage into the final period.
Their largest lead was 21 points (87-66).
Indiana shot efficiently, hitting 45.6% from the field (31-68) and a blistering 42% from beyond the arc (11-26).
They were near-perfect at the free-throw line, converting 15-of-16 attempts (93.8%). The Fever also outrebounded the Sun 38-27.
Tina Charles led Connecticut (2-9) with 20 points. The Sun struggled from deep, making only 3-of-21 three-point attempts (14%)
The victory earned the Fever $3,000 for their Commissioner’s Cup beneficiary, the Peace Learning Center, bringing their tournament total to $13,000 with a 4-1 Cup record.
More importantly, it secured their place in the Commissioner’s Cup Final, where they will face the Minnesota Lynx on July 1 at 8 p.m. ET in Minnesota.
The game featured late fireworks. Connecticut’s Jacy Sheldon, Lindsay Allen and Indiana’s Sophie Cunningham were ejected with 46 seconds remaining following a Flagrant Foul 2 assessed to Cunningham and subsequent technical fouls on Sheldon and Allen.
The Fever begins a three-game road trip on June 19, opening against the league’s newest team: the Golden State Valkyries. For Indiana Fever tickets, visit feverbasketball.com.
Contact Multi-Media & Senior Sports Reporter Noral Parham at 317-762-7846 or via email at noralp@indyrecorder.com. Follow him on TikTok @horsemensportsmedia. For more Indiana Fever news, click here.
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Parham has worked with various leagues to provide a diverse perspective in sports, including the Big Ten, Big East, IHSAA, IndyCar, MLB, NHRA, NFL, NBA, WNBA, WWE and the Olympics. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.
