Caitlin Clark sets WNBA rookie record as Fever defeats Sun | National Sports

Kelsey Mitchell scored 23 points, Caitlin Clark had 19 points, five rebounds and five assists and the Indiana Fever beat the Connecticut Sun 84-80 on Wednesday night, ending an 11-game losing streak in the series.

It was Indiana’s first win against Connecticut since July 3, 2021.

Neither team led by double figures in a game in which Clark set a WNBA rookie record for three-pointers made with a three-pointer in the first quarter, surpassing Rhyne Howard’s 85 in 2022. Clark added two more three-pointers before sinking 3 of 12 for 88 on the season.

Indiana led 82-80, Clark’s long three-pointer fell through and Connecticut called a timeout with 38.6 seconds left. Marina Mabrey ran down the clock before passing the ball to Alyssa Thomas, who had it stolen by Indiana’s Temi Fagbenle with 24.1 seconds left.

Lexie Hull, a 76% free throw shooter, made two free throws with 19.4 seconds left to give Indiana a four-point lead. DiJonai Carrington missed a three-point attempt and Clark grabbed the rebound before time expired.

MYSTIC 74, HEAVEN 70

CHICAGO (AP) — Stefanie Dolson scored 17 points and Ariel Atkins added 15 points and five assists to help Washington beat Chicago.

Washington (9-22) has won three straight games for the first time this season — including a 74-72 victory over the Storm in Seattle on Monday. That winning streak follows a five-game losing streak.

The Sky led 68-61 with 4:38 left, but the Mystics caught up and finished the game with a 13-2 run, snapping their first three-game winning streak since last June.

With Washington trailing by seven points, an Aaliyah Edwards putback off a Brittney Sykes miss sparked an 11-0 run that gave Washington a 72-68 lead with 1:01 left.

Chicago’s Kamilla Cardoso ended a nearly four-minute goal drought with a layup and increased the lead to 72:70 with 51.1 seconds left, but the Sky (11:19) could not score another goal.

LYNX 89, MECURY 76

PHOENIX (AP) — Kayla McBride scored 19 points and made three of Minnesota’s 11 3-pointers to help the Lynx beat Phoenix and extend their winning streak to seven.

Courtney Williams scored 16 points with five assists, Napheesa Collier added 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists and Myisha Hines-Allen had 11 for Minnesota (23-8). Bridget Carleton finished with nine points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals.

Minnesota, which now sits a half-game ahead of Connecticut and has the second-best record in the WNBA, built an early lead with a 17-0 first-quarter run and never relinquished it. Phoenix was denied a scoring opportunity for more than five minutes, allowing the Lynx to turn a 5-3 deficit into a 20-5 lead.

STORM 85, DREAM 81

SEATTLE (AP) — Jewell Loyd scored 28 points, including a three-pointer to take the lead with 23.1 seconds left, and Seattle beat Atlanta despite veteran Tina Charles becoming the 18th player in WNBA history to record a triple-double.

Seattle (19-11) trailed 81-77 with 1:40 left, but a layup by Nneka Ogwumike and Loyd’s decisive three-pointer and subsequent free throws gave the Storm the win.

Skylar Diggins-Smith stripped the ball from Atlanta defender Allisha Gray and Seattle forward Ezi Magbegor secured the loose ball before calling a timeout with 28.1 seconds left. Loyd rounded a high block and sank the open 3-pointer that gave Seattle an 83-81 lead.

SPARKS 94, LIBERTY 88

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dearica Hamby scored 21 points, rookie Rickea Jackson added 19 and bottom-place Los Angeles beat WNBA leader New York to end a seven-game losing streak.

Rae Burrell made 7 of 8 field goals and 3 of 3 three-pointers and scored a season-high 18 points for the Sparks (7-24). Odyssey Sims added 14 points and seven assists and Azurá Stevens scored 10 points.

New York (26-5) has lost two of its last three games after an eight-game winning streak, leaving it just 2 1/2 games ahead of the Minnesota Lynx, who have won seven games in a row and have the best record in the league.

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