Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark attempts a shot while a Connecticut Sun player tries to block it during Sunday’s WNBA Finals Round 1 Game 1 at Mohegan Sun Arena. Photo by James C. Garman/Sportpsage Magazine
The last time the Indiana Fever played a playoff game, an 89-78 loss to the Phoenix Mercury at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Sept. 21, 2016 Caitlin Clark was a freshman in high school. Sunday afternoon, the 6-foot-0 rookie guard led the Fever in their first playoff game in eight years when they took the court at Mohegan Sun Arena in front of a sellout crowd of 8,910 in Uncasville, Conn. The Fever fell short as the experienced Sun cruised to a 93-69 victory in front of their home crowd.
Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell opened up the scoring with a jump shot right after the opening tip, but Connecticut immediately took off on a 7-0 run with a three-pointer by forward DeWanna Bonner, followed by a fast break layup from guard DiJonai Carrington and a midrange jumper from Bonner.
Indiana responded with a 7-0 run of their own with two baskets from center Aliyah Boston and three free throws from guard Lexie Hull, after getting fouled by Sun guard Tyasha Harris while Hull was attempting a three-pointer. With 5:47 left in the opening quarter, the Fever had a one-point lead, 11-10.
The teams traded baskets as Sun forward Alyssa Thomas scored on a transition layup, followed by a layup from Bonner, but Mitchell canned a three-pointer for the Fever to tie the game, 14-14. Sun guard Marina Mabrey was fouled by Clark, with Mabrey’s two free throws breaking the tie, but Clark scored a reverse layup over Mabrey to tie it back up. The basket put the first playoff points on the board in Clark’s career.
Fever coach Christie Sides was assessed with a technical foul while arguing a call with 2:25 left in the opening quarter. Mabrey made the free shot and the Sun regained the lead.
Indiana forward Damiris Dantas and Thomas exchanged baskets to end the quarter and begin the next. Dantas made a three-pointer with 19.6 seconds left in the first quarter, but Thomas hit a jump shot with 2.8 seconds left on the clock to give the Sun the 23-20 lead at the quarter break.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark scores the first playoff points of her career, a reverse layup at the 3:16 mark in the first quarter of Sunday’s Round 1 Game 1 playoff game at Mohegan Sun Arena. Connecticut Sun center Brionna Jones tries to block on the play. Photo by James C. Garman/Sportspage Magazine
Dantas responded with another three-pointer. Thomas made a jump shot. Dantas made two free throws after getting fouled by Thomas. Then Thomas made another jump shot. Connecticut led 27-25 with 8:38 left in the half, but those two players combined scored 14 consecutive points in less than two minutes time.
Connecticut guard Veronica Burton, coming off the bench, blocked a shot by Mitchell, ran the length of the court, drove for a fast break layup, and was fouled by Hull as the shot rattled in. Burton’s free throw gave the Sun a five-point 30-25 lead.
After exchanging baskets for a few possessions, the game was tied 36-36 when the Sun made the next explosive run. Center Brionna Jones made a layup. Dantas was called for a defensive three-seconds violation which put Bonner on the line for the technical free throw, and two layups by Mabrey, and Connecticut held a 43-36 lead after the 9-0 run.
Mitchell made a jump shot and then Boston fouled Jones. However, Jones failed to make either of her two free throw attempts. Then with 11.4 seconds left, Indiana forward Katie Lou Samuelson fouled Bonner who attempted a three-pointer. Bonner made all three of the free shots, enabling the Sun to finish the half on a 12-2 run. Connecticut led 46-38 at halftime.
Mabrey started things off with a jump shot to begin the scoring. Boston answered with a layup of her own, followed by a three-pointer from Mitchell to cut the deficit to five points. However, layups from Carrington and Bonner brought the Connecticut lead back up to nine points. The Sun led 52-43 when Indiana called timeout at the 7:07 mark.
Connecticut Sun guard Marina Mabrey attempts a three-point shot in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s Round 1 Game 1 as Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull is late to defend. Photo by James C. Garman/Sportspage Magazine
Clark and Mabrey spent the next few minutes exchanging baskets. Clark struck first with a three-point, which was answered by one from Mabrey, who then added one more to her total a half minute later. In response, Clark scored a layup. Connecticut led 58-48 with 5:30 left in the quarter.
Connecticut went on a short 5-0 run on a layup from Carrington and another three-pointer from Mabrey, her third of the period. Clark answered with a three-pointer of her own, making the score 65-53 in favor of the Sun.
Carrington was fouled by Clark, but only converted the first of her two free throw attempts. The Sun rebounded the missed free throw which enabled Carrington to score on a finger roll layup. Mitchell and Boston both made baskets to close out the quarter for Indiana. Connecticut led 68-57 with one quarter to go.
This was where the long playoff experience of the Sun paid off. They turned it up a notch for the final frame.
Burton made a layup which was followed by a jump shot by Bonner. This was answered by a layup and a free throw by Mitchell. Connecticut led 72-60 with 7:28 remaining in the game.
Mabrey knocked down back-to-back three pointers. She then hit a jump shot and was fouled by Mitchell where she converted the free shot. Her personal 9-0 run made the score 81-60 with 6:01 left on the clock, essentially putting the game out of reach.
Connecticut Sun guard Marina Mabrey becomes the first player in WNBA history to score 27 points off the bench in a playoff game. Photo by James C. Garman/Sportspage Magazine
The Sun finished with a 7-0 run on a three-pointer from Carrington and back-to-back shots made by forward Olivia Nelson-Ododa. Indiana’s last basket was a layup by forward Victaria Saxton, her first career postseason points, with 22.9 seconds remaining. Connecticut won Game 1 by a score of 93-69.
Connecticut shot 36-for-73 (49.3 percent) from the field; 9-for-18 (50.0 percent) from three-point range; and 12-for-15 (80.0 percent) from the free throw line. They turned the ball over 11 times for eight Indiana points.
“They understand the magnitude of where we are. They’ve been through it. They understand that it takes another level, takes another gear, another level of urgency and the margin of error is smaller,” said Sun head coach Stephanie White regarding her veteran leaders Bonner and Thomas. “I think because they’ve been there they understand it. They’re leading by example. They were locked in.”
The Fever went 27-for-67 (40.3 percent) from the field; 6-for-28 (21.4 percent) from three-point range; and 9-for-12 (75.0 percent) from the charity stripe. They turned the ball over 14 times for 16 Sun points.
“The first three quarters we battled. I think we got rattled in the third a little bit when they hit some shots,” said Fever head coach Christie Sides. “Then in the fourth quarter we stopped scoring and they got some late buckets after the game was out of reach.”
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark shoots a three-pointer as Connecticut Sun forward DeWanna Bonner goes airborne in an attempt at blocking the shot, during Sunday’s WNBA Round 1 Game 1 playoff at Mohegan Sun Arena. Photo by James C. Garman/Sportspage Magazine
“They were going to make adjustments. They were going to change up their schemes. They were going to change the matchups. We had talked about getting back the matchups that we wanted, that we felt would be helpful for us,” Sides added.
The Sun had a 50-36 advantage in points-in-the-paint; 9-7 lead in second chance points; and 18-9 lead in fast break points. There were six ties and five lead changes in the game.
“The Connecticut Sun is a really really good team with a lot of experience. They know what it takes to step up to that next level, that playoff level,” said Sides. “That’s what we’re going to be. That’s who we’re going to become. They made it really difficult and we’ve got to close that gap.”
Marina Mabrey led all scorers with 27 points, the most points scored off the bench in a single game in WNBA playoff history. DeWanna Bonner added 22 points for the Sun; DiJonai Carrington pitched in for 14; and Alyssa Thomas notched 12 points and led the Sun with 13 assists and 10 rebounds. It was the fourth playoff triple-double of Thomas’s career. There have only been six triple-doubles in WNBA playoff history. Sheryl Swoopes recorded the first one in 2005, while Courtney Vandersloot did it in 2021.
“We do what we’re supposed to do. I’ve been waiting all season for the playoffs and this is what you’re playing for,” said Thomas. “This is just the beginning for us. We’re ready to go out and just execute to see what we brought to the table tonight. We’re all hungry and ready for Game 2.”
Indiana was led by 21 points from Kelsey Mitchell; 17 points from Aliyah Boston; 12 points from Damiris Dantas; and 11 points from Caitlin Clark. Boston led the Fever with 11 rebounds and Clark paced the team with eight assists.
“We battled. We fought. It wasn’t pretty but we were right there,” said Clark. “We had our chances. I felt like we didn’t play to the level that we are capable of playing. We didn’t shoot the ball like was are capable of.”
“We can win. It’s not anything about the building. It’s not about the gym. It’s not the hoop. I have all the confidence in the world in this team. Everyone in our locker room does and I know we’ll be a lot better on Wednesday,” Clark concluded.
The Sun take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series and host Game 2 on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT. The series winner will play the winner of the Minnesota-Phoenix series in the semifinal round.
