Caitlin Clark scores 24, Kelsey Mitchell adds 22 and the Fever beat the Mercury 86-77

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Caitlin Clark had 24 points and nine assists, Kelsey Mitchell scored 22 points, and the Indiana Fever overcame a 13-point, first-quarter deficit to beat the Phoenix Mercury 86-77 on Monday night.

>Indiana scored just six points in the first quarter, tied for its fewest in any quarter since 2018 and its fewest in the first since 2016. The Fever responded with a 35-point second quarter — the second-most they’ve scored in a quarter this season — to tie the game 41-all at the break. Clark scored 15 in the second quarter.

>The Fever outscored Phoenix 30-11 in the third and held off a late charge in a chippy fourth that saw six technical fouls handed out between the two teams. Myisha Hines-Allen was ejected after picking up her second technical foul.

>Clark and Mitchell made 16 of Indiana's 27 field goals, including six 3-pointers.

>Monique Billings finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds for her first double-double of the year for Indiana (10-7), which snapped a two-game skid. Aliyah Boston was held to eight points on 2-of-9 shooting. Clark has the most consecutive 20-point, five-assist games in WNBA history with six.

>Kahleah Copper scored 20 points for Phoenix (5-12), and Alyssa Thomas had 19 points, five rebounds and nine assists.

>Thomas became the fastest player in WNBA history to record 500 assists with a franchise, surpassing Clark in four fewer games. She also moved to 13th on the WNBA's career steals list.

Up nextThe Fever host the Mercury again on Wednesday.

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>AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball