The Indiana Fever grinded out a tough road win over the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday despite an off night from Caitlin Clark, but the win may end up being bittersweet as Clark appeared to suffer an injury in the final seconds.
The Fever held on for an 85-77 victory over the Sun to improve to 12-10 on the season after seven lead changes and 10 total ties in the matchup, which was moved to the TD Garden in Boston to accommodate the sold-out crowd that included the likes of Boston Celtics superstar Jaylen Brown.
Clark finished with 14 points in the win, shooting 4-of-14 from the field and 1-of-7 from 3. She was held to five points through three quarters, but exploded for nine points in the fourth quarter to help Indiana pull away from the Sun. But the Fever’s celebration was short-lived after Clark appeared to suffer an injury in the final minute.
With 39.1 seconds remaining in the contest, Clark completed a bounce pass to Kelsey Mitchell to go up 84-75, tying the Fever’s largest lead of the game. After the pass, Clark immediately grabbed for her groin, grimaced and head-butted the stanchion in frustration. She did not return to the game.
It’s the latest blow for Clark, who is still looking to find her rhythm after a left groin injury and left quad strain sidelined her a total of 10 games. Clark’s status in the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game and 3-point contest in Indianapolis could also be in jeopardy.
Kelsey Mitchell finished with a team-high 20 points, while Natasha Howard added 18 points and 13 rebounds.
Tina Charles finished with a game-high 21 points and added 11 rebounds in the loss, marking her league-leading 198th double-double of her career. The 36-year-old veteran now has four 20-point, 10-rebound games this season, tied for the most in the league.
Indiana Fever vs. Connecticut Sun highlights
End of Q3: Fever 62, Sun 60
Ahead of the fourth quarter, Sun veteran Tina Charles said Connecticut plans to ‘keep making it hard for Caitlin (Clark), she’s the heart of the snake.’ The Sun have done just that and trail by just two points after three quarters.
Clark has been held to five points against the Sun and missed all five of her shot attempts in the third quarter. She’s shooting 2-of-10 from the field and 0-of-5 from 3 on the day, continuing a troubling slump on the road. She’s 1-of-33 from the 3-point line on the road this season.
Natasha Howard and Kelsey Mitchell have a team-high 17 points for the Fever. Aliyah Boston has three points. Meanwhile, Charles has a game-high 18 points, 11 rebounds and two assists for the Sun, who are looking for their fourth win of the season.
Caitlin Clark held back from referee
Clark’s shooting woes have continued and her frustrations appeared to boil over in the third quarter. Clark had to be held back by team personnel after her chat with referee Mike Price went awry during the Sun’s coach’s challenge on an out-of-bounds call. It’s not clear what Clark was upset about, but shooting a disappointing 2-of-8 from the field and 1-of-2 from 3 surely isn’t helping.
Jaylen Brown in the building
Tuesday’s matchup between the Fever and Sun marks only the second WNBA game to take place at TD Garden in Boston, home of the 2024 NBA champion Boston Celtics. So it’s only right that Celtics superstar Jaylen Brown is in attendance. Brown sat courtside during the sold-out game and stopped to take some pictures with fans.
Halftime: Fever 44, Sun 42
The Fever have a two-point advantage over the Sun at halftime after a back-and-forth first half that featured seven lead changes between both teams.
The Fever are shooting 52.9% from the field, compared to the Sun’s 41.9%, but Indiana has been outrebounded 23-16. Turnovers are also starting to build up with six in the first half, three of which belong to Caitlin Clark. Clark’s road woes have continued in Boston and she’s been held to five points (2-of-5 FG, 0-of-2 3PT). Natasha Howard leads all scorers with 12 points and six rebounds, while Kelsey Mitchell added 11 points.
Meanwhile, Tina Charles has set the intensity for her team. Charles, the league’s second-leading scorer of all time, has 11 points, seven rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. The Sun’s bench added 13 points.
End of Q1: Fever 29, Sun 28
The Fever opened Tuesday’s contest against the Sun red-hot and collectively shot 8-of-8 from the field and 1-of-1 from 3 to build a nine-point lead over the Sun. Connecticut, however, responded with an 11-3 run to take the lead, 28-27, with 54.2 seconds remaining.
The Fever regained the lead with a pair of free throws from Aari McDonald to close the quarter.
Natasha Howard has a team-high 10 points and four rebounds for the Fever after one quarter. Meanwhile, Tina Charles is doing a little bit of everything for the Sun with nine points, three rebounds, one steal and one block.
The Sun applied early pressure on Caitlin Clark, picking her up full-court and sending early double teams, but Clark was able to efficiently distribute the ball to her teammates in the paint each time. She’s up to two points and four assists.
What time is Fever vs. Sun?
The Indiana Fever’s WNBA game on Tuesday, July 15 at the Connecticut Sun is scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. ET at TD Garden in Boston.
How to watch Fever vs. Sun: TV, stream for Caitlin Clark
- Date: Tuesday, July 15
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Location: TD Garden (Boston)
- TV: ESPN
- Stream: Fubo
Indiana Fever starting lineup
The Fever’s starting five consists of Caitlin Clark, forward Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, Natasha Howard and Lexie Hull. This unit has made eight starts together this season heading into Tuesday and gone 5-3.
Connecticut Sun starting lineup
Caitlin Clark will participate in WNBA All-Star 3-point contest
Ahead of the 2025 WNBA All-Star game, where Caitlin Clark will serve as a team captain, the 2024 Rookie of the Year will compete in Friday’s WNBA STARRY 3-Point Contest. The field is rounded out by Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron, Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray, New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu and Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum
‘It’s exciting. I’ve never participated in a 3-point competition or practiced before, so just go out there and have fun,’ Clark said on Tuesday in her pregame press conference. ‘I think the lineup of people competing is tremendous so more than anything, it’s going to be great for our league and for women’s basketball as a whole.’
Clark is shooting 28.9% from 3 this season, down from her average of 34.4% last year, and is looking to snap out of a shooting slump. She has shot 23-of-74 from the field and 6-of-35 from beyond the arc in the past five games as she’s dealt with left leg injuries.
Watch Fever vs. Sun with Fubo
