CNN
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Kate Rinklark maintained a hot start to the new WNBA season on Tuesday, making history in the process, but Indiana Fever fell to the 2025 season’s first defeat against the Atlanta Dream, 91-90.
Rhyne Howard made a go-ahead free throw with the remaining 9.1 seconds in Indiana’s slow rally was short at two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson and 2021 NASCAR champion Kyle Larson at Indianapolis’ noisy Gainbridge Field House.
Indiana chased 76-65 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, but showed an incredible spirit to take away the way back into the game. Fever’s comeback was caused by two deep three-pointers from Clark before a free throw from Aalija Boston, finishing with 24 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks.
However, Dream was able to reach forward again via Howard and Indiana’s Natasha Howard, but had two chances to seize a late victory, but one shot was blocked and another shot bouncing off the rim.
Clark scored a game-high 27 points, adding five rebounds, 11 assists and two steals. In doing so, the second-year point guard passed three All-Star Sabrina Ionescu per ESPN, setting the record for the 25-point 10 assist games in WNBA history.
After opening the season with a victory, the fever fell to 1-1 in the younger season, but Clark has since said the loss will help Indiana in the long run.
“Yes, this smells bad. We wanted to win this game, but this is great for our team,” Clark said. “A little adversity – how do we deal with it? We have the opportunity to go there and play them (again).
“I have to give my team a lot of credit. We never gave up. We found a way to go back to it.”
But Indiana’s Mitchell was critical of the heat performance against heat.
“Today, we failed miserably as a group because certain things were set up to be effective in a quarter to a quarter,” Mitchell said. “And you guys didn’t see what was supposed to look like a third or half.
“So it’s just the discipline right now… we know the recognition, the people. The specific things we have to go home to succeed. Our lulls are too low. They can’t be that low. We don’t have a margin of error.”
Indiana’s Kelsey Mitchell scored 24 points and Atlanta was led by Brittney Griner, who scored 21 points and eight rebounds in the evening. Howard added 20 points, and Breonna Jones had 19 points and 13 rebounds for her dream.
The two teams will take them back to court at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Thursday night.