UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Greater than 4 months have handed since Caitlin Clark started her WNBA profession at Mohegan Solar Enviornment towards Connecticut Solar on opening evening of the 2024 season. However throughout the Indiana Fever’s playoff debut Sunday towards those self same Solar, it felt so much like Could.
Connecticut was the extra composed, veteran crew, and executed as such in a 93-69 win. The Solar’s protection — together with some odd clock points within the first half — prevented the Fever from ever establishing a circulate on offense, as they swarmed the passing lanes and used their size to discourage photographs.
Indiana didn’t succumb to turnovers because it did earlier within the season, however holding on to the ball didn’t assist generate beauty, because it shot beneath 40 % for under the seventh time this 12 months.
In the meantime, Connecticut had its traditional balanced assault from the ground. Simply as she did within the two groups’ first assembly, Alyssa Thomas had a triple-double with 12 factors, 10 rebounds and 13 assists. She now owns 4 of the six triple-doubles in WNBA playoff historical past and picked up her newest on the day she completed fifth in MVP voting, one spot behind Clark.
Thomas’ fiancé DeWanna Bonner was equally productive. She was tasked with the Clark defensive project and was excellent towards the rookie, stopping her from attending to her stepback going left and swallowing up Clark’s drives. Bonner had 22 factors, 5 assists and two blocks, and the Solar had been a game-high plus-22 in her minutes.
Connecticut additionally had some sudden success from past the arc. Marina Mabrey — pushed into heavier minutes as a consequence of a first-half damage to Ty Harris — discovered her stroke within the third quarter and ended the sport with 5 triples. The Solar completed with 9 as a crew, simply the eleventh time all season they’ve had a minimum of eight in a sport (which, you guessed it, contains opening evening); they’re 10-1 after they hit that whole from the 3-point line.
Though the margin ballooned within the fourth, Connecticut was in management towards the Fever from the center of the second quarter onwards. The Solar weathered the early pleasure from their youthful opposition after which dominated in a well-known manner the remainder of the sport.
Sport 2 between Indiana and Connecticut will probably be Wednesday from Mohegan Solar Enviornment at 7:30 p.m. ET.
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(Photograph: Joe Buglewicz / Getty Photographs)