Indiana Fever beat Chicago Sky again as Caitlin Clark flirts with triple-double in rematch

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Fever picked up their second win over the Chicago Sky this season with a 91-83 victory Sunday in a renewed, chippy rivalry.

Caitlin Clark flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 23 points, nine assists and eight rebounds as the Fever (5-10) won for the fourth time in their past six games after a brutal start to the season.

Chennedy Carter had 18 points for Chicago (4-9), while Angel Reese finished with 11 points, 13 rebounds and a flagrant foul after hitting Clark in the head on a drive to the basket.

More: Sky are 0-2 in budding rivalry with Fever, but won’t change who they are

More: Caitlin Clark is getting more comfortable, and Fever are starting to win

‘I just miss my dad a lot.’ Kelsey Mitchell works through emotions of Father’s Day

Here are three observations:

Four Fever starters finish in double figures

Sunday’s game was likely the most complete and cohesive game for the Fever’s starting five this season, as four of the five finished in double figures: Clark (23), Aliyah Boston (19), Kelsey Mitchell (17) and NaLyssa Smith (15).

The point guard-center connection between Clark and Boston, the past two No. 1 picks in the WNBA draft, has also been coming together. Clark employed bounce and post-entry passes more than ever in Sunday’s game, making it difficult for the Sky to defend.

That led to an efficient night from Boston, who finished with 9-of-13 shooting, and nine assists for Clark. Boston also had 14 rebounds.

Mitchell shot 7-of-13 from the field while playing on the first Father’s Day since her dad, Mark, died in March. Mark Mitchell was Kelsey’s coach growing up, as well as an assistant coach at Ohio State when she played in college.

Angel Reese picks up flagrant 1 after hit to Caitlin Clark

With three new rookies in the mix, the Chicago-Indiana rivalry is renewed and becoming chippy — especially after Chennedy Carter’s foul on Clark in the two teams’ first meeting on June 1.

In the first quarter on Sunday, Clark got into a small spat with Sky guard Dana Evans after the two interlocked arms while Clark was driving to the basket. Carter and Fever guard Kristy Wallace quickly separated the two, and Evans was called for a foul for locking arms.

In the third quarter, Reese hit Clark in the side of the head while attempting to come from behind and block her shot. Clark fell to the baseline under the basket, but got up without any issue after a short time, fans booing as the replay played on the jumbotron.

Reese’s foul was upgraded to a flagrant 1 after review; Clark took two free throws and the Fever got possession. While it was a flagrant, it looked like Reese was making an effort on the ball and missed the mark. Sky forward Isabelle Harrison blocked the ball from the front, but that was negated because of the contact from behind.

Sky dominate offensive glass

Reese and fellow Chicago rookie Kamilla Cardoso (the Skyscrapers, as some fans call them) stand at 6-3 and 6-7, respectively. When they’re boxing out in the paint together, it’s hard to fight for rebounds. The Fever saw that firsthand on Sunday afternoon.

In just the first quarter, Cardoso grabbed seven rebounds — four on the offensive glass. Reese’s four That helped the Sky take 27 total shots in the first quarter compared to the Fever’s 16. Indiana was much more efficient with its shots, though, shooting 62.5% from the field to have just a three-point deficit going into the second quarter.

Reese and Cardoso combined for 18 rebounds by halftime, with 10 of them coming on the offensive glass. The Fever’s 3-point shooting kept them in the game in the first half, as Indiana went 6-of-12 in the first 20 minutes.

How many points did Caitlin Clark score against the Chicago Sky?

The Fever rookie had 23 points to go along with eight rebounds and nine assists. She also had five turnovers.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Caitlin Clark flirts with triple-double as Fever beat Sky again