Fever bounce back behind 'floor general' Clark

INDIANAPOLIS -- Entering Friday's matchup against the Atlanta Dream, the Indiana Fever were desperate for a confidence-boosting win, particularly coming off Wednesday's 19-point loss to the Golden State Valkyries that guard Kelsey Mitchell deemed a "butt-whooping."

Indiana got the bounce-back it was hoping for: The Fever cruised to a 99-82 dub over the fifth-place Dream -- a team that had been a difficult matchup for them earlier this season -- to get back to .500 (10-10) with three games left before the All-Star break.

After bemoaning their inconsistency earlier this week, the Fever showcased the offensive firepower that, with a healthy Caitlin Clark and when firing on all cylinders collectively, makes them one of the most potent squads in the league. Indiana's 59 second-half points marked the most points the franchise has scored in any half this season and tied for their most in any half in the past seven seasons. Their 99 total points reflected their second-best scoring output on the season, while their 11 3-pointers were tied for their second most in a game this year.

"I thought we just played with a really great pace," Clark told ESPN. "We moved the ball, we cut hard, which opened up the 3-point line for us, and then we knocked down some shots, but also I thought our defense was really good. I think it was both sides of the ball. It kind of felt like how we should get back out there and play every single game."

"Our team has enough offensive threats that we should have five to six people in double figures every single night when we move the ball," added Sophie Cunningham, who finished with a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double. "When the ball is popping, we're a really hard team to guard."

In her second game back from a five-game absence with a left groin injury, Clark finished with just 12 points on 5-for-17 shooting (1-for-7 from 3) but was most pleased with how she directed the offense, where she chipped in 9 of their 27 assists on 35 made shots.

"I know [my shot] is right there and it's going to fall, but I thought honestly this is probably one of the best games where I've just managed the entire pace of the game and managed the way we need to play, especially in the second half, took care of the ball really well," Clark said. "I thought I was just a really good floor general tonight, and I think that's something I can be more proud of than making shots. That's exactly what this team needed."

Clark, who missed five games in May/June with a left quad strain, is now 4-for-35 on 3-pointers in her past five games (three of which were in June, prior to being sidelined with injury). That 11.4% clip is the worst 3-point field goal percentage over a five-game span in WNBA history (minimum 35 attempts). The star guard, whose 3-point shooting has long been a hallmark of her game, showed some frustration throughout the evening as she struggled to convert from deep. But when she was not finding her teammates, she also found success attacking the rim against Atlanta's pressure.

"I'm not worried about Caitlin's shot," coach Stephanie White said. "She's recovering from injury. She plays heavy, hard minutes. Every defensive scout, she's the top of the scouting report. So her shot quality that she's getting has not been great. We're just so used to her making tough shots, and to be able to do that while she's recovering from injury is going to be more difficult. That's part of the reason that we want to try to make her life easier.

"For her to stay patient ... we just have to help navigate her own frustration. She's a perfectionist, as most elite players are, and she needs to be able to give herself grace in those moments."

Atlanta (12-8) had much of the momentum early, buoyed by a hot shooting night from veteran guard Jordin Canada. Canada caught fire in the first half, where she knocked down six of her nine 3s and went into the locker room with 26 points -- both of which were already career highs. Though the Dream led by as many as seven in the third quarter, Indiana kicked its offense into another gear as the frame went on, outscoring Atlanta 39-19 and hitting 56% of its shots in the final 13:37 of the game.

"We were a little bit lackadaisical in our box-outs and allowed them to get second-chance opportunities," Canada said. "And in the fourth quarter, we just miscommunicated on a lot of things. It started in the third quarter and just continued into the fourth quarter and we weren't able to adjust like we should have."

Added Atlanta's Brittney Griner: "Every possession matters. Those little lapses that we had ... they're a good team and they capitalized on it. If we play like this against any team in the league, you know this is the outcome."

The Fever said doubling down defensively helped fuel their offense. As part of that, they slowed down Canada, who managed just four points in the second half.

"I think when the ball pings and we get to two and three sides, you get to see more of who we are," said Mitchell, who paced the team with 25 points. "And I think that's tied with how effective our defense can be."

Trying to build consistency will remain a focus for the Fever entering the final game in their current five-game homestand, in which they've gone 2-2. The Dallas Wings, led by 2025 No.1 pick Paige Bueckers, come to town for a Sunday afternoon tilt on ABC.

"This is [our second game] with our whole roster, with everyone in our rotation," White said. "I think building consistency in habits for us, continuing to work consistency in rotation, now that [Clark]'s back, now that [Damiris Dantas]'s back, what does it look like ... it's one game, it was a big one, we needed it, but we've got to continue to stack days and build on it."