Fever recover from ugly start to blowout Liberty behind Kelsey Mitchell
· Yahoo Sports
INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana Fever completed a comeback victory over the New York Liberty, 108-88, on Saturday night on the second game of a back-to-back at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Kelsey Mitchell had her second straight 30-plus-point game, tallying 33 on 10-of-14 shooting on Saturday night. Caitlin Clark, after a franchise-record 45 points on Friday, had 17 points and seven assists on Saturday.
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The Fever are now 16-10 on the season.
Here's what I liked and disliked from the game:
What I liked about Indiana Fever's win vs New York Liberty
- First-half free-throw shooting: Free throws are what kept the Fever in the game in the first half. Indiana was great at drawing fouls, going to the line 15 times; the Fever benefitted from a tough first half for the Liberty at the line, too. Indiana went 13-of-15 from the charity stripe in the first quarter, while New York was just 6-of-11. Kelsey Mitchell also drew a reckless closeout call with about two minutes left in the half. She sunk all three free throws and the Fever got the ball back for a 3-pointer from Tyasha Harris, giving Indiana a six-point swing.
- Third-quarter run: The comeback for the Fever started in the second quarter, but they really capitalized in the third. It didn't look like they were on the second night of a back-to-back, as they were able to slice through the Liberty's defense, draw eight fouls, and get to the line 10 times (even though they only made five of those shots). Mitchell was the engine behind the Fever's burst, playing all but one second of the quarter and scoring 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting. Indiana ended up scoring 30 points in the third quarter while limiting the Liberty to just 12, changing the scope of the game entirely.
What I disliked about Indiana Fever's win vs New York Liberty
- 3-point defense early: The Liberty feasted from the 3-point line early, starting the night 7-of-9 from beyond the arc. Marine Johannes was a large part of that, going 4-of-5 from 3-point range in the first quarter alone for 12 points. It was that kind of shooting -- and that kind of dismal defense from the Fever -- that allowed New York to build a lead as large as 13 points throughout the first half.
What the Indiana Fever's win vs New York Liberty means
It did not look like the Fever were on the second game of a back-to-back at all, and that's the way they like it. They strung together two straight great games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, including a 45-point masterclass from Caitlin Clark on Friday against Seattle, then a comeback victory after being down 13 points in the first half against New York. Kelsey Mitchell continued her dominance too, with a second-straight 30+ point game. This is the consistency the Fever need to be a great team, and to be a team that can become a contender through the second half of the season.
Chloe Peterson is the Indiana Fever beat reporter for IndyStar. Reach her at [email protected]. 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.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Fever recover from ugly start to blowout Liberty behind Kelsey Mitchell