The Fever Still Win Without Catlin Clark Hitting A Three Pointer

The Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream took the hardwood down in Atlanta for a rematch from a game up in Indy on Tuesday, a game the Fever lost. The Fever would also get this win 81-76 without Catlin Clark, who went 0-5 from behind the three-point line on Thursday night. That would mark the first game for Clark without a three since 2022 while still at Iowa. Let’s dive into the rest of the action to see how it all played out.

Fever Struggle In First Half

The game tipped off, and Brionna Jones would score first with a 25-foot three-pointer. The Fever’s first scorer would be Catlin Clark, she would score a basket with 19 19-foot jump shot, with the assist coming from Aliyah Boston. The Dream would get the lead out to 7-2 by the 8:24 mark of the first quarter.

The next possession, Natasha Howard would make a layup with Aliyah Boston making the assist to make it 7-4 at the 7:57 mark of quarter one. The Fever would not score again until the 4:04 mark of quarter one, with DeWanna Bonner making a free throw after a foul by Rhyne Howard. By the end of a very defensive first quarter, it would be 18-13 with the Dream out in front.

The second quarter would have more offense, and it started with Natasha Howard hitting a layup with Sophie Cunningham assisting on the play. Then at the 8:51 mark of quarter two, Damiris Dantas hits a 27-foot three-pointer with Lexie Hull making the assist that would tie the game at 18. Both teams would take turns going on runs on each other with the Fever getting the last one before halftime with a score 37-34 with the Fever leading.

Natasha Howard Has Huge Second Half

The Fever may not have gotten any three-point shooting from Catlin Clark, but that was fine, as Natasha Howard had a huge second half. The scoring would start with Howard in the second half, making an eight-foot jump shot with Kelsey Mitchell making the assist.

Howard would make her first three shots of the third quarter, helping the Fever get a 46-38 lead at the 7:27 mark of the third quarter. This quarter would be like the second, with each team running in spurts, either gaining a considerable lead. The third quarter would end with a score of 61-58, with the Fever leading. 

Howard would have 13 points in the third quarter. She was getting the shots she wanted all night. The fourth quarter started with Clark making a layup at the 9:08 mark of the fourth quarter. This game would be close till the end when the Fever got out in front and stayed there, winning 81-76 on the road. This would also be Sophie Cunningham’s first game of the regular season. She had nine points, three assists, and six rebounds in 20 minutes of floor time. 

 Final Thoughts

This game would break Caitlin Clark’s streak of 140 straight games of making at least one three-pointer. The last game she was without a three was at Iowa against Purdue when she shot 0-6 from the three-point line on Jan. 13, 2022. The Fever showed that they can win on the road with Clark having a bad night, something they struggled with last season. That shows me the off-season moves are showing to be the right ones. As always, stay tuned to Total Apex Sports for all things WNBA.