INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Aliyah Boston matched a career high with 27 points, Kelsey Mitchell added 24 and the Indiana Fever closed on a 10-2 run for a 91-84 win over the Atlanta Dream on Thursday night despite getting just seven points from Caitlin Clark in her first game since she was left off the U.S. Olympic roster.
The selection committee in its decision officially announced Tuesday determined that the talented Clark did not have the experience to be a member of the group headed to the Paris Games this summer.
Indiana (4-10) scored 59 in the first half and led by as many as 18, but had just 14 points in the first 14 minutes of the second half as Atlanta rallied. The Fever’s first points of the fourth quarter came on Mitchell’s free throws with 5:16 left.
Rhyne Howard tied it at 77-all with 4:13 left and she made another 3-pointer on the next possession for Atlanta's first lead, 80-79, since it was 11-10.
But Atlanta (5-6) had shot clock violations on back-to-back possessions and Indiana scored four points following those possessions.
Mitchell converted her first field goal of the second half with 47.1 seconds left for an 87-82 lead after a steal under the Atlanta basket.
Howard made two free throws to get Atlanta within 87-84, but Boston spun in the lane and made a layup.
Boston also grabbed 13 rebounds for her third double-double of the season. Clark shot 3 for 11.
Howard, who was limited to eight minutes in the first half due to three fouls, finished with 26 points including six 3-pointers. Cheyenne Parker-Tyus had 18 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals off the bench. Allisha Gray added 12 points and Haley Jones scored 10.
Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton sat behind the Fever bench and Joey Chestnut, a 16-time hot dog-eating champion, was courtside.
