For the second time in three days, Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream bested Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. But this time, it was even more dominant than the first.
On Saturday, the longstanding rivalry between Clark and Reese added another chapter. And just like Thursday night’s showdown, it was Reese and the Dream who came out on top in what turned out to be a rather lopsided game, fueled by some second-half struggles from Clark.
Dream Thump Fever
After a slow start that saw them fall behind by 11 points, the Dream rallied and ultimately pulled off a dominant 113-96 win, setting a new franchise record in points scored.
The scoring was a group effort for the Dream, with all five starters reaching double figures. Rhyne Howard led the way with 24 points, followed Allisha Gray with 22. Naz Hillmon had 19, while Reese had 18 and Jardin Canada had 12.
While the Dream trailed by double digits in the game, they absolutely dominated the second half, outscoring the Fever by a score of 57-39 in the third and fourth quarters to pull off a lopsided victory.
With the win, the Dream improves upon its conference-best 11-4 record, continuing what has been a strong season.
Caitlin Clark’s Struggles
It’s been an up-and-down season for Clark, and that was certainly illustrated on Saturday as she looked unstoppable to start the game before struggling mightily through the rest.
Through the first quarter of Saturday’s game, it looked like it was going to be a dominant showing from Clark, as she put up 13 points with no turnovers in the game’s opening quarter. However, she struggled from that point on.
Following her turnover-free 13-point first-quarter outburst, Clark added just 13 more points the rest of the game through the remaining three quarters combined. She also had seven turnovers in the subsequent quarters, giving her the most turnovers in a game all season.
Due in large part to Clark’s struggles to score and protect the ball, the Fever blew an 11-point lead and suffered their second loss to the Dream in three days.
About Dave Kelsey
Contributing author to The Comeback.