Natasha Howard had a double-double, Caitlin Clark scored 20 points and the host Indiana Fever defeated the Connecticut Sun 88-71 on Tuesday night.
Howard finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds, Kelsey Mitchell scored 17 and Damiris Dantas had 13 off the bench as the Fever (6-5) finished 4-1 in the Commissioner’s Cup to win the Eastern Conference title after Atlanta lost at New York, 86-81.
Tina Charles scored 20, Olivia Nelson-Ododa had 14 points and eight rebounds and reserve Jaelyn Brown scored 13 to lead the Sun (2-9), who went 1-4 in Commissioner’s Cup play.
Lexie Hull and Mitchell each made a 3-pointer and the Fever started the third quarter with an 8-4 spurt that produced a 55-43 lead.
Charles made two free throws before Jacy Sheldon committed a flagrant 1 foul against Clark, and Charles, teammate Marina Mabrey and Clark were called for technicals for their reactions.
Clark made three free throws and Howard added a tip-in to give Indiana a 60-45 lead. Saniya Rivers made a 3-pointer for Connecticut, but the Fever finished with an 8-4 run to take a 68-52 lead at the end of the third quarter.
The Sun crept within 71-61, but Indiana scored the next five points to regain command.
Another altercation happened in the final minute and the Fever’s Sophie Cunningham and the Sun’s Lindsay Allen and Sheldon were ejected.
The score was tied at four before Hull and Clark each made a 3-pointer to help the Fever take a 14-8 lead. The Fever led by six again before Charles scored eight points to help Connecticut tie the score at 18.
Indiana scored the next six points and the Sun scored the last five, leaving the Fever with a 24-23 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Clark had seven points and three assists, and Indiana extended the lead to 41-33 midway through the second quarter. Charles answered with a basket before the Fever took their biggest leadoff of the half at 47-35.
Brown made a field goal and Haley Peters added two free throws for the final points of the quarter, and Indiana held a 47-39 halftime lead.
–Field Level Media
