INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Fever extended their season to force a winner-take-all Game 3 in the first round of the WNBA Playoffs.
Caitlin Clark led the way to a 98-89 win over the Las Vegas Aces in Game 2 on Tuesday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Clark had 27 points, 15 assists and six rebounds before fouling out.
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Here’s what I liked and disliked, and what the win means.
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Indiana’s run post-Clark tech: Clark was fired up after an offensive foul she felt she didn’t deserve, and that led to her first technical foul in over a month. That also, evidently, gave Indiana the spark it needed. After A’ja Wilson missed the technical free-throw, Indiana proceeded to go on an 11-4 run, fueled by Clark’s aggressive rim pressure, court vision, and efficient shooting. The Aces, up just two after that Fever run, took a timeout to try and stop the bleeding, but the Fever’s momentum was there to stay. Indiana eventually turned an 11-point deficit to a five-point lead at halftime.
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Raven Johnson’s hustle: The Fever rookie knew her role was going to expand in the playoffs after Tyasha Harris was ruled out for the season with a broken fibula. So far, she has more than delivered. In the Fever’s second-quarter run, Johnson got tied up with Wilson on the ground, which gave Clark an opportunity to steal the ball and race down the court for an assist to Mitchell. Johnson also found the basket on a three-second play ahead of halftime, beating the buzzer to put Indiana up five points at the half.
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Holding onto the lead in the fourth: Indiana built up a 15-point lead in the third quarter, but Jackie Young quickly cut into that with a 3-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer. The Fever faltered in the fourth, letting the Aces get as close as five points, but the Fever quickly built up their lead back to double digits and held on to survive an elimination game.
What I disliked in the Indiana Fever’s win vs Las Vegas Aces
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Clunkiness of the first quarter: The Fever got off to a nice start, but had some clunkiness that allowed the Aces to get up as many as 11 points throughout the first half. There were some blown defensive coverages, including when Clark argued with a ref instead of getting back on defense, and some unwise passes that killed the Fever’s momentum offensively.
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Caitlin Clark fouling out: For the first time in her professional career, Clark fouled out of the game with just over three minutes left. Her sixth foul seemed to be a valid defensive foul as she tried to guard A’ja Wilson in the restricted area; her fifth foul, however, was one she did not agree with. Her fifth foul was a defensive blocking foul as Jackie Young cut across the 3-point line, and Young even thought it was called an offensive foul as she started walking the other way down the court. Clark tried to get the Fever coaching staff to challenge at the time, but they did not. Indiana still pulled through without Clark, but they didn’t have her even if needed for the final three minutes.
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What the Indiana Fever’s win vs Las Vegas Aces means
With their backs against the wall, the Indiana Fever will survive one more day. The Fever made the necessary adjustments between Sunday and Tuesday, and a first-half double-double from Clark pushed them to a winner-take-all Game 3 in Las Vegas on Thursday.
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Chloe Peterson is the Indiana Fever beat reporter for IndyStar. Reach her at chloe.peterson@indystar.com. Get IndyStar’s Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter. Subscribe to IndyStar TV: Fever for in-depth analysis, behind-the-scenes coverage and more.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Caitlin Clark powers Indiana Fever to series-tying win vs Las Vegas Aces
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