Indiana Fever beat Mystics for third win in a row as core four continues to jell

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Fever won their third game in a row with an 88-81 victory over the Washington Mystics at Gainbridge Fieldhouse

Here are three observations:

Fever win third game in a row, fifth in seven games

The Indiana Fever are slowly, but surely, getting hot in the WNBA.

After starting the season at 2-9 with 11 games in 20 days, the Fever have now won five of their past seven games, and three in a row. Indiana is in the playoff race, sitting at eighth with a 6-10 record.

And they’re approaching something they haven’t accomplished in nine years: four straight wins.

Indiana last won four in a row in 2015, when the Tulsa Shock still existed and Indiana legend Tamika Catchings was still playing. The Fever will go for four in a row Friday at Atlanta — a team they beat earlier this week,

Yes, all of their wins so far have come against bottom-half teams in the WNBA, including the Dream, Chicago Sky and Washington Mystics. But stacking wins is crucial for a young team like the Fever, and they’re doing it well.

Fever core four continue to jell

For the second straight game, each of Indiana’s top four players finished the game in double-figures: Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchel each had 22, Caitlin Clark had 18 and NaLyssa Smith had 11. While it’s the second straight game this has happened, it’s still just the second time the Fever have been able to get all of its stars — two No. 1 picks and two No. 2 picks — able to jell together.

Clark and Boston’s pick-and-roll and post-entry game is also continuing to develop: Boston started the game 3-for-3 from the field while Clark started with three assists. Clark flirted with a triple-double on Wednesday for the second consecutive game too, finishing with 16 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.

With 11 games in 20 days, the Fever had a tough start to the season with little rest and little practice time. Now, with four games in 16 days, Indiana has had time to practice new offensive schemes and learn how to work together with game experience to back it up.

Aliyah Boston showcases 3-point range

Watch out, Fever second-year center Aliyah Boston could become a threat beyond the arc.

Boston came to the Fever as a post that played nearly always in the paint, but she needed to have at least somewhat of a 3-point range — in case of emergencies. She showed her 3-point range last season in a July game against the Liberty — a last-second 3-pointer tied the score, forcing overtime against a top WNBA team. That time, she jumped into her teammates arms in celebration.

This year, it’s becoming more normal for the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week. Boston found herself open beyond the arc, got the ball, positioned her feet just beyond the 3-point line, and launched the ball toward the net. Swish. The Fever bench jumped up in celebration as Boston casually ran back on defense.

This season, she’s 4-for-10 in her limited attempts beyond the arc. It’s a new part of her game, and it’s something that could become a threat to opposing teams.

How many points did Caitlin Clark score?

Caitlin Clark scored 18 points and led the Fever in rebounding with 12 boards. She also added six assists with six turnovers.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Caitlin Clark double-double helps Indiana Fever to third straight win