In the second half of a back-to-back, Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever (16-10) used a dominant third and fourth quarter performance to rout the New York Liberty (13-12) from Gainbridge Fieldhouse by a score of 108-88 on Saturday night.
Despite having difficulties finding consistency with her shot, Cailtin Clark finished 17 points on 5 for 14 from the field, 2 for 8 from 3-point range, and 5 for 5 at the free-throw line, to go along with seven assists and two rebounds in 26 minutes of play.
Meanwhile, Kelsey Mitchell recorded her 10th consecutive game with at least 20 points by leading all scorers tonight with 33 points scored on 10 for 14 shooting, four for six from 3-point land, and 9 for 13 at the charity stripe.
Indiana has now won seven of their last 10 games and is ranked at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
Final: Indiana 108, New York 88
Indiana uses a 63-39 offensive outburst in the third and fourth quarters to rout the New York Liberty after struggling to find consistency throughout much of the opening 20 minutes.
Caitlin Clark finished 17 points on 5 for 14 from the field, 2 for 8 from 3-point range, and 5 for 5 at the free-throw line, to go along with seven assists and two rebounds in 26 minutes of play.
3:33 4th QTR: Indiana 99, New York 80
Indiana Timeout.
Stephanie White calls a timeout with the Fever holding a 19-point advantage late in the fourth quarter.
Clark has 17 points on 5 for 14 from the field, 2 for 8 from 3-point range, and 5 for 5 at the free-throw line, to go along with seven assists and two rebounds in 26 minutes of play.
4:35 4th QTR: Indiana 93, New York 77
New York Timeout.
New York calls a timeout after Caitlin Clark hit another 3-pointer to keep the Indiana lead at 16.
Clark has 17 points on 5 for 14 from the field, 2 for 8 from 3-point range, and 5 for 5 at the free-throw line, to go along with six assists and two rebounds in 25 minutes of play.
7:02 4th QTR: Indiana 83, New York 67
Indiana Timeout.
While Indiana holds a 16-point lead, Stephanie White has called a timeout to ensure her squad remains focused on closing out the game.
Clark has 14 points on 4 for 13 from the field, 1 for 7 from 3-point range, and 5 for 5 at the free-throw line, to go along with five assists and one rebound in 23 minutes of play.
8:42 4th QTR: Indiana 81, New York 63
New York Timeout.
The Liberty called a timeout with a player down underneath the basket after Caitlin Clark nailed her first 3-pointer of the day. Fortunately for the Liberty, the player is being helped off the court by her teammates.
Clark has 14 points on 4 for 13 from the field, 1 for 7 from 3-point range, and 5 for 5 at the free-throw line, to go along with five assists and one rebound in 21 minutes of play.
End of Third Quarter: Indiana 75, New York 61
At the end of the third quarter, Indiana has a 12-point lead over New York in a hard-fought battle that is sure to provide an exciting final ten minutes of play.
Myisha Hines-Allen’s tenacious effort on the court has been the spark plug for the Fever’s 28-12 scoring advantage in the third quarter, as Indiana has effectively quieted the once-electric Liberty offense.
While Caitlin Clark has continued to have a quiet night, the rest of the Fever roster has done a wonderful job picking up the slack, with Mitchell leading all scorers with 27 points on 8 for 12 shooting and 3 for 5 from deep.
The former Hawkeye has 8 points so far on 2 for 11 from the field and 4 for 4 at the free-throw line, to go along with five assists and one rebound in 20 minutes of play.
5:00 3rd QTR: Indiana 60, New York 55
After review, the call on the floor has been reversed, with the challenge successful.
Indiana will now have possession.
5:00 3rd QTR: Indiana 60, New York 55
Indiana Timeout.
Indiana’s surging offense has now given them a five-point advantage.
Stephanie White is challenging an out-of-bounds call that was originally ruled as New York possession, but the video appears to show it bouncing off of Brianna Stuart.
Clark now has 8 points so far on 2 for 9 from the field and 4 for 4 at the free-throw line, to go along with four assists and one rebound in 18 minutes of play.
5:59 3rd QTR: New York 55, Indiana 54
New York Timeout.
Indiana has cut the deficit to just one point, forcing New York to call a timeout to fend off the surging Fever.
8:10 3rd QTR: New York 55, Indiana 50
Official’s timeout.
After review, the officials have deemed Aliyah Boston’s box-out to be marginal and not worth a foul call.
Clark now has 8 points so far on 2 for 8 from the field and 4 for 4 at the free-throw line, to go along with three assists and one rebound in 13 minutes of play.
Halftime: New York 49, Indiana 45
At halftime, Indiana’s much faster pace to close the second quarter has them trailing New York by only four points.
Outside of the crucial late second-quarter offensive push from Indiana, the Fever have struggled mightily against the three-point shot by the Liberty, who entered the break shooting 56% from beyond the arc.
Kelsey Mitchell leads all of Indiana’s scores with 13 points at the break, while Breanna Stewart also has 13 points for New York.
Clark still has 5 points so far on 1 for 7 from the field and 3 for 3 at the free-throw line, to go along with three assists and one rebound in 13 minutes of play.
As for Clark, tonight’s performance is nearly the polar opposite of Friday night’s as New York made it extremely difficult for her to find consistency with her shot.
2:18 2nd QTR: New York 42, Indiana 32
After review, the call on the floor has been upgraded to a Flagrant Foul Penalty 1 for a reckless closeout.
Mitchell will get three free throws, and Indiana will retain possession.
2:18 2nd QTR: New York 42, Indiana 32
Officials timeout.
The officials are reviewing a foul on Kelsey Mitchell’s 3-pointer for a possible reckless closeout.
4:00 2nd QTR: New York 36, Indiana 29
New York Timeout.
Indiana has cut the deficit to seven points, as New York has been stagnant on offense.
Clark now has 5 points so far on 1 for 7 from the field and 3 for 3 at the free-throw line, to go along with two assists and one rebound in 12 minutes of play.
5:38 2nd QTR: New York 36, Indiana 25
Media Timeout.
Indiana has run into a turnover problem lately, with nine turnovers already accrued.
As a result, the Fever have scored just three points this quarter.
Clark still has 3 points so far on 1 for 6 from the field and 1 for 1 at the free-throw line, to go along with two assists in 11 minutes of play.
End of First Quarter: New York 28, Indiana 22
At the end of the first quarter of play, New York leads Indiana by six points after the Liberty shot a 78% clip from 3-point range.
However, Indiana has battled back with strong defensive efforts and quality scoring lately.
Clark has 3 points so far on 1 for 3 from the field and 1 for 1 at the free-throw line, to go along with one assist in six minutes of play.
7:12 1st QTR: New York 15, Indiana 4
Indiana timeout.
New York is off to a blazing hot start as the Liberty open an 11-point lead early in the first quarter, forcing Stephanie White to call a timeout.
8:28 1st QTR: New York 9, Indiana 2
After a hard screen against Caitlin, Clark, the former Hawkeye picks up a technical foul for complaining to the referee on the missed call.
Indiana Fever Starting Five
Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston on minutes restriction
Ahead of tonight’s matchup, head coach Stephanie White revealed that both Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston will be on minutes restrictions.
As for Clark, her minutes restriction will be far less closely monitored than Boston’s.
Caitlin Clark is rocking a new purple Caitlin 1 colorway
Caitlin Clark unveiled the fourth colorway of her upcoming Caitlin 1 Nike signature shoes. The latest is a purple version, which Clark is rocking tonight against the Liberty.
Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston are available vs. Liberty
Both Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston are available tonight against the Liberty.
How to watch Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever vs. New York Liberty
Watch Fever vs. Liberty
How to stream Fever vs. Liberty
Fans can stream Clark and the Fever vs. the Liberty via Fubo.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Indiana Fever vs. New York Liberty: Caitlin Clark points, stats
Reporting by Scout Springgate, Hawkeyes Wire / Hawkeyes Wire
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By Scout Springgate, Hawkeyes Wire | USA TODAY Network
