Sun upset by Fever, 84-80, as Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell shine

The Connecticut Sun couldn’t continue the momentum of their last win over the No. 1 New York Liberty, suffering an 84-80 upset to the seventh-place Indiana Fever on Wednesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The Sun (22-8) won their three previous meetings against Indiana in 2024, but the Fever (15-16) are 4-1 since the WNBA returned from its Olympic break. Connecticut was playing its fifth game in nine days and fatigue showed in the team’s uncharacteristic defensive breakdowns. The Sun allow an average of just 73 points and six 3-pointers per game to opponents, but Indiana went 13 for 30 from 3-point range en rout to its 84 total points.

Veteran guard Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever with 23 points, shooting 4 for 7 from outside, and rookie superstar Caitlin Clark finished with 19 points plus five rebounds and five assists. However, Sun standout DiJonai Carrington still had an elite defensive performance against Clark, forcing seven turnovers on six steals, and she also anchored Connecticut’s offense with 19 points, four rebounds and two assists.

The Fever’s newfound comfort in their offense since the Olympic break was immediately apparent. Indiana had seven different scorers in the first quarter led by 11 from Mitchell, combining for 33 points. It was the worst defensive performance of the year for Connecticut in a single quarter, and the team struggled on the perimeter, allowing the Fever to shoot 5 for 8 in the first alone.

After the Sun got out to a quick 8-2 lead behind four Fever turnovers in the first two minutes, Indiana center Aliyah Boston made a layup that started a 13-2 run for the home squad. Connecticut trailed by seven at the end of the first, though its 26 points were the second-most the team has scored in a first quarter all season.

Sun superstar Alyssa Thomas powered the offense in the first half, starting 4 for 4 from the field for nine points, but the Sun didn’t have a single scorer in double digits at halftime. Meanwhile, Clark, Lexie Hull and Mitchell all had 10-plus for Indiana, and the team went 9 for 18 on 3-pointers to take a 51-42 lead after the second quarter.

Connecticut found another hot streak coming out of halftime, turning a nine-point deficit into a one-point lead three minutes into the third quarter. It was a game of runs for both teams with Indiana pulling back ahead by as many as eight, but Marina Mabrey hit a pair of clutch 3-pointers back-to-back in the final minutes of the third to get Connecticut back in striking distance trailing just 69-66.

Indiana led for most of the final quarter, but Mabrey sank a 3-pointer with just under three minutes to play that led to an 80-80 tie. Clark put Indiana back in front with a layup, and the Sun had an opportunity to tie the score with less than 24 seconds left that was squandered on an out-of-bounds turnover forced by Indiana forward Temi Fagbenle. A pair of free throws for Hull with under 20 seconds on the clock gave the Fever a two-possession lead that sealed the victory. Hull finished with 17 points and eight rebounds, going 5 for 9 from the field.

Thomas scored 17 points for the Sun, adding six rebounds and six assists, and Mabrey ended with 16 points on a team-best 4-of-9 shooting from 3-point range. DeWanna Bonner was the fourth Connecticut player to score double digits, leading the team in rebounds with eight on top of her 13 points.