The Phoenix Mercury turned a slow first half into a close game against the Indiana Fever, but fell 98-89 on Friday in Indianapolis.
It looked like fatigue had set in for the Mercury (14-13) after playing the second of back-to-back road games and falling behind 22-6 in the first quarter.
The defense couldn’t find an answer for rookie sensation Caitlin Clark in the first half as she shot 55.6% and posted 16 points and five assists. Clark finished with 29 points and 10 assists, going 4-for-11 from the 3.
But the Mercury chased down the Fever’s 17-point halftime lead in the third quarter and took the lead on a 3-pointer from Kahleah Copper at 2:42. Copper had yet another big performance and recorded 18 of her 32 points off free throws. Copper led the Mercury with eight rebounds and six assists.
Point guard Natasha Cloud helped drive the Mercury’s comeback throughout the second half, hitting two of her five 3-pointers. Cloud finished with 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting.
Lexie Hull’s 3-pointer gave the Fever a 64-62 lead and began a 12-2 run to end the third quarter. The Mercury came within five points when Diana Taurasi, who finished with 16 points, hit a 3 at 7:31 in the fourth, but the Fever pulled away with a tighter defensive performance.
The Mercury will return to Footprint Center on Sunday at 6 p.m. to face the Chicago Sky for the second time in four days. The Mercury defeated the Sky 85-65 on Thursday.
