Indiana Fever Secure Fifth Straight Win Over Portland Fire

The Indiana Fever continued their impressive performance with a 112-98 victory against the Portland Fire on Friday night in Portland, Oregon. Caitlin Clark delivered an outstanding game, recording 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, marking her fourth career triple-double. Kelsey Mitchell also contributed significantly with 26 points. The Fever improved their season record to 19 wins and 10 losses, having secured nine wins in their last 11 games. Notably, they scored 100 points for the fifth consecutive game.

Bridget Carleton led the Fire with 26 points, although the team suffered their fourth consecutive loss, bringing their record to 11 wins and 18 losses. The Fever took control in the third quarter, extending their lead to 18 points, going into the fourth quarter with a 90-72 advantage. Makayla Timpson’s layup increased their lead to 10 points at the start of the fourth.

Portland attempted a comeback, with a 3-pointer by Carleton narrowing the gap to 98-88 with 4:08 left. Carleton’s layup further reduced the deficit to 100-93. However, Clark’s free throws extended the Fever’s lead to 110-96 in the final minute, securing their victory.

Before the game, a rally took place outside the Moda Center supporting Sophie Cunningham’s controversial comments about transgender athletes in women’s sports. A similar event occurred prior to the Fever’s previous game against the Seattle Storm. Cunningham, who faced boos upon entering the game, contributed 13 points, including a 3-pointer that gave the Fever a 14-8 lead.

Megan DiLeo’s 3-pointer momentarily put the Fire ahead 36-30, but the Fever rallied to enter halftime with a 56-47 lead. Clark led the scoring for the Fever in the first half with 17 points.

The match attracted a record 19,959 fans, highlighting the intense interest in the game. Next, the Fever will face Minnesota on Sunday, while the Fire will host Los Angeles on the same day.