Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark score 17 each as Fever beat Lynx
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kelsey Mitchell scored 21 points, and Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark finished with 17 points to help the Indiana Fever beat the Minnesota Lynx 81-74 on Sunday.
Boston grabbed a career-best 16 rebounds and blocked four shots for the Fever. NaLyssa Smith added 11 points.
Indiana (11-14), which lost 10 of its first 13 games but has won eight of 12 since, has won back-to-back games and three of its last four.
Clark set up Boston for a layup before Katie Lou Samuelson fed Boston for another basket inside to give the Fever a four-point lead with 2 minutes to go. Kayla McBride cut the deficit to a point with a 3-pointer just 8 seconds later but Clark was fouled and made two free throws to make it 77-74. Mitchell swooped in to block a layup attempt by Alanna Smith with 22 seconds remaining, was fouled and hit two free throws to make it a five-point game with 16 seconds left and Clark made two fouls shots to cap the scoring 6 seconds later.
Alanna Smith had 18 points, eight rebounds and four steals despite being forced to the bench by foul trouble in the second half for Minnesota (16-8). Bridget Carleton tied her career high with five 3-pointers and finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier (foot) missed her fourth consecutive game.
Courtney Williams made a layup that tied the score at 50-all, Dorka Juhasz followed with a layup, Clark was called for a technical foul and McBride hit the ensuing free throw before Carleton hit a 3 and Williams hit two foul shots to take an eight-point lead with a minute to go in the third quarter.
Clark, who made 1 of 9 from behind the arc in the first three quarters, hit a deep contested 3 to open the fourth. Mitchell and Samuelson each added a 3 to make it 63-63 with 8 minutes to play.
Samuelson made a left-hand scoop shot high off the glass with the shot clock winding down and Clark shook her defender with a series of moves for a wide-open layup that gave the Fever a 67-65 lead with 6:44 to go. Alanna Smith answered with a 3 about a minute later but Mitchell responded with a step-back jumper and then grabbed the rebound of a miss by Clark and made the putback to make it 71-68. Cecilia Zandalasini made a step-back 3-pointer to tie it again with 4:26 left.
Boston had 11 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in the first half.