Round one of Caitlin Clark vs. Paige Bueckers goes to Clark.
Behind a strong second quarter, Clark and the Indiana Fever earned a blowout 102-83 win over Bueckers and the Dallas Wings on July 13 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Fever outscored the Wings 36-15 in the second quarter to lead by 22 at halftime.
Clark scored 14 points and added 13 assists and five steals for the Fever, while Bueckers finished with a game-high 21 points in the first WNBA matchup between the No. 1 picks of the 2024 and 2025 WNBA Draft.
A left groin injury kept Clark out of what would have been the first matchup between he two WNBA stars on June 27.
Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever with 20 points, while Natasha Howard added 18 points and Aliyah Boston had 17 and Sophie Cunningham finished with 13 points each. Li Yueru added 16 points for the Wings, while JJ Quinerly added 13 points and Aziaha James had 11 points.
Here’s a recap of the Fever’s matchup against the Wings on Sunday:
Final: Indiana Fever 102, Dallas Wings 83
Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever earn an impressive 102-83 win over Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings. The Fever outscored the Wings 36-15 in the second quarter to take control of the game.
Bueckers had a game-high 21 points in the matchup between the two former No. 1 overall picks. However, Clark finished with 14 points and 13 assists in the Fever victory.
Indiana improves to 11-10 on the season, while the Wings fall to 6-16.
End of third quarter: Indiana Fever 84, Dallas Wings 63
The Dallas Wings win the third quarter, but wil enter the fourth quarter trailing by 21 with the Indiana Fever holding an 84-63 lead.
Caitlin Clark already has a double-double with 14 points and 10 assists while adding five steals and a block. Kelsey Mitchell leads all scorers with 18 points, while Natahsa Howard has 14 points, while Aliyah Boston and Sophie Cunningham each have 13 points for the Fever.
Paige Bueckers leads the Wings with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field. Li Yueru has 14 points and Aziaha James has added 11 points for Dallas.
Halftime: Indiana Fever 64, Dallas Wings 42
The Indiana Fever explode for 36 points in the second quarter to hold a 64-42 lead over the Dallas Wings at halftime. The Fever outscored the Wings by 21 points in the quarter. The 64 points are the most in a half in the WNBA this season.
Nathasha Howard and Kelsey Mitchell each have 13 points to lead Indiana in scoring. Caitlin Clark has added 10 points and seven assists, while Sophie Cunningham has nine points.
Paige Bueckers and Li Yeru each have 10 points to lead the Wings.
End of first quarter: Indiana Fever 28, Dallas Wings 27
Both teams shoot over 50% in the first quarter, but a putback basket by Makayla Timpson gives the Fever a 28-27 lead after one quarter.
Kelsey Mitchell leads all scorers with nine points. Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers each have seven points. Bueckers is the leading scorer for the Wings after one quarter.
First quarter: Dallas Wings 16, Indiana Fever 14
Paige Bueckers hit a 3-pointer and has five points as Dallas holds a 16-14 lead over Indiana headed into the first official timeout with 4:49 left in the quarter. Caitlin Clark has a game-high seven points.
First quarter: Indiana Fever vs Dallas Wings
The matchup between Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings vs. Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever is underway from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
What time is Indiana Fever vs. Dallas Wings?
The Indiana Fever host the Dallas Wings at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Sunday, July 13 at 1:00 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast nationally on ABC.
How to watch Indiana Fever vs. Atlanta Dream: TV, stream
- Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
- Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis)
- TV: ABC/ESPN
- Live stream: ESPN+, Fubo (free trial)
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
