INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Kelsey Mitchell scored 11 straight points during a third-quarter run Thursday night and finished with 25 points to help the defending Commissioner's Cup champion Indiana Fever open this season's tournament with an 83-71 victory over the Atlanta Dream.
Aliyah Boston added 19 points, seven rebounds and three blocks while Caitlin Clark had 17 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Mitchell was 11 of 15 from the field and joined
the WNBA's 5,000-point club.
The victory capped an emotional week for Indiana, which included questions about a sideline spat between Clark and coach Stephanie White during last weekend's loss at Portland. The Fever had a team meeting on Monday.
Allisha Gray and Jordin Canada each scored 13 points for the Dream. Naz Hillmon added 12 points, and Angel Reese, Clark’s college rival, finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Canada also had seven assists.
The difference for Indiana was defense. It entered the game allowing 89 points per contest but gave up a season-low point total against the Dream, the team the Fever eliminated from last year's playoffs.
Mitchell's third-quarter burst swung the game for good after Atlanta charged back from a 38-29 halftime deficit to take a 43-42 lead on Hillmon's 3-pointer with 6:15 left in the quarter.
White called timeout and when play resumed, Boston's block led to an easy basket. Clark followed with her second 3-pointer of the game to make it 47-43 and Mitchell converted Lexie Hull's block into a layup, starting her 11-point flurry that extended the margin to 58-43.
Dream: Host Washington on Saturday.
Fever: At New York on Saturday.
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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
