Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark made WNBA history Tuesday night, becoming the first player to post a points-assists double-double before halftime of a playoff game, as Indiana held off elimination with a 99-89 win over the defending champion Las Vegas Aces.
Clark finished the night with 27 points, 15 assists and seven rebounds before fouling out with 2:45 left in the fourth quarter, at which point the Fever led 92-83. In doing so, she became the first player in WNBA history—regular season or playoffs—to record at least 25 points and 15 assists in a single game.
The victory forces a decisive Game 3 on Thursday, keeping Indiana’s postseason alive against a Las Vegas team looking to defend its title.
A Furious Second-Quarter Turnaround
Facing elimination, Clark ignited a dramatic shift in momentum after picking up a technical foul late in the second quarter. The foul came amid frustration over officiating following what appeared to be a flop by Aces guard Mai Yamamoto during a physical defensive stretch.
Rather than rattling Clark, the moment seemed to fuel her. Indiana responded with a 24-6 run, forcing eight Aces turnovers in the quarter and outscoring Las Vegas 30-17 to take a 48-43 lead into halftime.
In that stretch alone, Clark posted 14 points and 11 assists in just 19 minutes of play, accounting for 11 of the Fever’s 13 team assists in the half. Her passing set up Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston, who combined for 30 first-half points in the paint.
Other Game Notes
Jackie Young led all scorers for Las Vegas with 31 points. Aces star A’Ja Wilson added 22 points but picked up a technical foul in the fourth quarter following an interaction with a fan in the crowd. Further details on that incident have not yet been confirmed.
Clark’s big night follows a regular season in which she was named AP Comeback Player of the Year and earned First Team All-WNBA honors. She also became the first player in league history to record more than 800 points and 300 assists in a single season.
With the series now tied, Clark and the Fever will look to close out their first-round matchup and advance further into the playoffs when Game 3 tips off Thursday.
