Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever (4-3) return to the court tonight for the second half of their two-game West Coast road trip with the franchise’s first trip to Portland, Ore., for a clash with the Portland Fire (5-4). It is also the first time Indiana will play at Moda Center since June 20, 2002, when the Fever faced the initial iteration of the Fire franchise, which lasted only three seasons from 2000 to 2002.
In Indiana’s last game on Thursday night, the Fever had their three-game winning streak and another record-setting occasion for Caitlin Clark spoiled by the Golden State Valkyries in a 90-88 loss at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif. Despite achieving another league record, the 6-foot guard struggled offensively against the Valkyries by shooting just 3-for-12 from the floor.
As for Portland, tonight will be the second game of a back-to-back after they suffered an 86-66 home loss against the Atlanta Dream on Friday night. However, former Iowa women’s basketball legend Megan Gustafson did notch a new career milestone in the process by surpassing the 800 career points threshold.
As Clark and Indiana look to rebound from their narrow defeat on Thursday, follow alongside HawkeyesWire for live scoring updates and highlights of tonight’s action against the Portland Fire:
8:26 2nd QTR: Portland 34, Indiana 16
Stephanie White calls another timeout.
Despite Clark being back in the game, the Fire’s defense has been relentless against the Fever, expanding the lead to 18 points.
End of First Quarter: Portland 29, Indiana 15
After the first quarter of play, Portland has dominated Indiana offensively, going on a 27-7 scoring run since Indiana’s timeout at the 7:20 mark.
Clark has five points on 1-for-3 shooting and 3-for-3 at the free-throw line, three assists, one rebound, and one steal in seven minutes of action.
Meanwhile, Megan Gustafson has contributed eight points on 3-for-3 from the field for the Fire.
Caitlin Clark picks up her second foul
After sitting for a large part of the first quarter, Clark picked up her second foul of the game with 2:38 left in the frame, with the Fever now down 21-10.
4:36 1st QTR: Portland 15, Indiana 10
Indiana calls a timeout as their offensive rhythm has disappeared during a 13-2 Portland scoring run.
Clark remains on the bench for the Fever.
Megan Gustafson records back-to-back And-1 opportunities
With Clark on the bench for a brief rest, Portland’s Megan Gustafson records back-to-back And-1 opportunities to give the Fire an offensive spark.
Caitlin Clark is distributing early
With 7:20 left in the first quarter, Portland has called a timeout after Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, and Aliyah Boston have fueled an 8-2 start for the Fever.
So far, Clark has two points on 1-for-2 shooting, three assists, and one rebound.
Indiana Fever Starting Five
Caitlin Clark praises Raven Johnson’s offensive emergence
Caitlin Clark’s status upgraded to “available”
According to the Fever’s updated injury report, Caitlin Clark’s status for tonight’s game has now been upgraded to “available.”
Indiana Fever Injury Report
Similar to the previous two games, Caitlin Clark was initially listed as “probable” on the Fever’s league-mandated injury report on Friday night, with her back injury ruled as the reason for the inclusion.
How to watch Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever vs. Portland Fire
Where to stream Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever vs. Portland Fire
Stream: Fans can watch the Fever-Mystics game on Fubo, which offers a free trial to first-time customers.
Watch Indiana Fever vs. Portland Fire
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews
This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Indiana Fever vs. Portland Fire stats: Caitlin Clark points, box score
Reporting by Scout Springgate, Hawkeyes Wire / Hawkeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
