INDIANAPOLIS — Los Angeles Sparks 6-foot-7 center Li Yueru tried for the step-through layup over Indiana Fever center Temi Fagbenle. Yueru’s shot was blocked, but not by Fagbenle. She did shape Yueru’s indirect path to the basket, yet it was actually 6-foot rookie guard Caitlin Clark with the block from behind. Clark whipped the ball up the floor, got it back, and hit the 28-footer.
The transition triple trimmed the Fever’s deficit to only four points with 8:50 to go in the second quarter. The Fever were held to 15 first-quarter points, the opposite of their 28 at the reigning WNBA champs Las Vegas Aces Saturday.
Before the Aces, the Fever played the Sparks last Friday and won after being kept to an identical 15 first-quarter points. There was plenty of time.
Plenty of time for the Sparks to catch fire beyond the arc and surge in the second half for the 88-82 revenge victory over the Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse Tuesday night. Clark put up 30 points and three blocks, both career-highs for the WNBA rookie, and added three steals and six assists.
But in the second half, Sparks guards Kia Nurse and Aari McDonald made eight “People will probably pick on my defense quite a bit,” Clark said afterward. “There’s times where it’s good and there’s times where I’m still learning and growing. Like, a couple times where I let Nurse get open for a couple threes. That just can’t happen. But those are situations I’m still trying to learn and grow… the more active I am on defense, it helps me play better offense.” threes.
Nurse and McDonald had vendettas toward the Fever, it seemed like. In Indiana’s 78-73 win over Los Angeles last Friday, guards Nurse, Lexie Brown, and McDonald combined to shoot 0-for-14 beyond the arc.
Clark and Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell weren’t that much better in shooting efficiency, until the fourth quarter when they hit clutch baskets for the win. It was the reverse for the Sparks Tuesday. Nurse and McDonald shot 0-for-2 combined in the first half.
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