Fever Rally Past Mercury 86-77 Behind Clark's 24 Points and Nine Assists

The Indiana Fever mounted a dramatic comeback from a 13-point first-quarter deficit to defeat the Phoenix Mercury 86-77 on Monday night, June 23, 2026. Caitlin Clark led the charge with 24 points and nine assists, while Kelsey Mitchell contributed 22 points as the two guards combined to make 16 of Indiana's 27 field goals, including six three-pointers. After scoring just six points in the opening quarter—their fewest in any quarter since 2018—the Fever exploded with a 35-point second quarter to tie the game at 41-all by halftime, with Clark scoring 15 of those points.

The Fever's dominance continued in the third quarter, where they outscored Phoenix 30-11 to take firm control of the game. Monique Billings added 14 points and 10 rebounds for her first double-double of the season, though star center Aliyah Boston struggled, managing only eight points on 2-of-9 shooting. The fourth quarter proved chippy, with six technical fouls distributed between the teams and Myisha Hines-Allen ejected after her second technical. Despite Phoenix's late-game push, Indiana held firm to secure the victory and snap a two-game losing streak.

Phoenix's Kahleah Copper led the Mercury with 20 points, while Alyssa Thomas chipped in 19 points, five rebounds, and nine assists. Thomas reached a significant milestone, becoming 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 all-time career steals list. The loss dropped Phoenix to 5-12 overall, while Indiana improved to 10-7. The two teams are scheduled to meet again on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. EDT in Indianapolis.