Caitlin Clark scores 24, Kelsey Mitchell adds 22 and the Fever beat the Mercury 86-77

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Caitlin Clark had 24 points and nine assists, Kelsey Mitchell scored 22 points, and the Indiana Fever overcame a 13-point, first-quarter deficit to beat the Phoenix Mercury 86-77 on Monday night.

Indiana scored just six points in the first quarter, tied for its fewest in any quarter since 2018 and its fewest in the first since 2016. The Fever responded with a 35-point second quarter — the second-most they’ve scored in a quarter this season — to tie the game 41-all at the break. Clark scored 15 in the second quarter.

The Fever outscored Phoenix 30-11 in the third and held off a late charge in a chippy fourth that saw six technical fouls handed out between the two teams. Myisha Hines-Allen was ejected after picking up her second technical foul.

Clark and Mitchell made 16 of Indiana’s 27 field goals, including six 3-pointers.

Monique Billings finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds for her first double-double of the year for Indiana (10-7), which snapped a two-game skid. Aliyah Boston was held to eight points on 2-of-9 shooting. Clark has the most consecutive 20-point, five-assist games in WNBA history with six.

Kahleah Copper scored 20 points for Phoenix (5-12), and Alyssa Thomas had 19 points, five rebounds and nine assists.

Thomas became the fastest player in WNBA history to record 500 assists with a franchise, surpassing Clark in four fewer games. She also moved to 13th on the WNBA’s career steals list.