The WNBA All-Star and Olympic break is finally here; many players need it. Until Aug. 16, the Fever are on rest after a tough first half of the season.
Indiana had arguably the most challenging schedule in the first half of the WNBA season. The team played 11 games in 20 days, faced the top teams, and did it all while still getting the groove of things as a young team. But still, they finish the first half of the season at 11-15 and sit third in the Eastern Conference division.
For the month of July, Caitlin Clark was named the WNBA Rookie of the Month, averaging 20.3 points, 12.5 assists and 6.3 rebounds per game.
July 17: Indiana at Dallas Wings
101-93 Wings
Indiana faced a struggling Dallas Wings team for the final game before the break. But they also faced a fierce, unstoppable Arike Ogunbowale. Despite Dallas’ losing record, the game went down to the final minutes and was decided over big shots.
However, history was made in Dallas when Clark dished out 19 assists to break the WNBA game record. This season, Clark is averaging 8.2 per game and leading the WNBA in assists with 213 thus far. Clark broke the mark with her 18th assist but also got one more dime in to get some comfort room on the record. The record-breaking assist came from a set-up pass to Kelsey Mitchell for a 3-pointer with 2:22 remaining in the game.
Before the record-breaking assist, Clark picked up her 14th assist early on in the fourth quarter to break her previous career high of 13, which she had set earlier in the season. She now is the second rookie in WNBA history to go over 200 assists in a season.
The duo in Dallas of Odyssey Sims and Ogunbowale dropped 24 points each for Dallas. Natasha Howard scored 17 points, grabbed seven rebounds, dished eight assists and had four steals in an all-around excellent performance. The Wings scored 100-plus points for the second time this season in the game against Indiana.
For Indiana, Aliyah Boston also had a big night, scoring a career-high 28 points and leading all scorers. Clark finished with 24 points, and NaLyssa Smith had 13 points and 12 rebounds, which was another double-double of the season.
With 44.6 seconds remaining in the game, Ogunbowale made a jaw-dropping mid-range fadeaway shot that rolled into the basket as the shot clock expired. After some moments of the officials reviewing the play, it was called good. It extended the lead to four points and Dallas held on for the win.
July 19-20: WNBA All-Star Weekend
The WNBA All-Star weekend didn't start as planned for the Fever. For the weekend's first event, Erica Wheeler was supposed to participate in the WNBA All-Star Skills Challenge competition. She had to be replaced at the last minute because of the faulty software update that caused technological issues worldwide on Friday. Wheeler tried to fly from Atlanta to Phoenix, but her flight was canceled.
Wheeler’s tweet revealed that Pacers CEO Mel Raines tried to get her a charter flight to get to the festivities, but nothing was available in that short of time. So Kelsey Mitchell had the honor of replacing Wheeler and even wore Wheeler’s Fever jersey while she competed. This was Mitchell's first time participating in the skills challenge, and she did not qualify for the finals in the event.
Many questioned why Clark was not in this year's 3-point contest as well. However, many reports showed that she was invited to compete, but the rookie decided to sit out to prioritize the All-Star Game and get some rest.
Three Fever players were featured on Team WNBA, including Clark, Boston and Mitchell. All three performed impressively in the 117-109 win over Team USA. Mitchell scored 13 points, Clark scored four points with 10 assists, and Boston scored four.
Ogunbowale, the star in the Dallas game before the week, scored 34 points in the second half to take home the MVP honors. Fellow rookie Angel Reese also had 12 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double in her first All-Star appearance.
Clark struggled from the field, going 2-for-9 shooting and 0-for-7 on 3-pointers, but she impressed Team USA with her passing abilities. She dished out a game-high of 10 assists and set a WNBA All-Star Game rookie assist record. Except Clark had just two assists short of breaking Sue Bird’s All-Star assist record, which is 11. Clark even joked about Bird’s record while on the game broadcast.
"Oh, it's Sue's, then I'm breaking it," Clark said on the broadcast. "She's been talking crap all game. Then I'm breaking it. If it's anybody else, they can keep it, not Sue Bird. Thank you for telling me that; that's really important."
But with how Clark handles and passes the ball, it will take her only a short time to grab Bird's record. And as the season progresses, she is well on her way to breaking the single-season rookie assists record of 225.
As the All-Star Weekend festivities come to an end, the Fever has a rest until the August 16th game against the Phoenix Mercury. But still, the Fever have one of their players to cheer on for in Paris for the Olympics. Kristy Wallace will be representing Indiana as she joins Australia's national team.
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