The Golden State Valkyries pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever 88-77 at home on Thursday.
The Valkyries have won four of their last five games and improved to 6-6 overall, after becoming the fastest franchise to win five games in its inaugural season earlier this month.
The Fever finished each of the first three quarters with the lead and put the Valkyries in a deficit as large as 13 points, but it wasn’t enough to deny Golden State.
Kayla Thornton led Golden State with 16 points and six rebounds in 20 minutes of play. Tiffany Hayes, playing her first home game since her return from injury, produced 14 points and five assists in 32 minutes off the bench.
Aliyah Boston finished with a game-high 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Fever in the loss. Clark had 11 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. She shot just 3-for-14 from the field and didn’t hit a 3-pointer (0-for-7).
Clark was coming off a game where she was in the middle of a scuffle that led to an ejection, flagrant fouls and subsequent fines. It inspired Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White to blast the league’s refs and reignited the national debate about how the WNBA’s biggest star is treated and viewed by opposing players.
White missed Thursday’s game for personal reasons. Austin Kelly served as the acting coach for Indiana.
Fever vs. Valkyries highlights
Caitlin Clark stats tonight vs. Valkyries
Points: 11
FG: 3-for-14
3PTs: 0-for-7
FT: 5-for-5
Rebounds: 7
Assists: 9
Blocks: 0
Steals: 1
Turnovers: 6
Fouls: 3
Minutes played: 34
Final: Valkyries 88, Fever 77
The Valkyries overcame a double-digit deficit to regain the lead in the fourth quarter.
Aliyah Boston was forced to sit in the middle of the quarter after picking up her fifth personal foul.
3Q: Fever 59, Valkyries 55
The Fever went on a 10-3 run to start the quarter and built up one of its biggest leads of the game against the Valkyries. The Valkyires went on a 10-2 scoring run of their own to end the third quarter. Kate Martin scored back-to-back baskets, scoring five of her nine points in the final minute of the period. Kayla Thornton has 10 points and five rebounds through three quarters for Golden State.
Aliyah Boston has produced a double-double for the Fever with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Caitlin Clark scored five of her seven points in the third quarter for Indiana to go along with her seven assists and six rebounds.
Indiana has led by as many as 13 points. Golden State’s largest lead has been five.
Halftime: Fever 44, Valkyries 38
Aliyah Boston and Natasha Howard led the way for the Fever in the first half against the Valkyries. Boston has produced 15 points, seven rebounds and three blocks for Indiana. Howard has chipped in with eight points, three rebounds and two assists.
Caitlin Clark was limited to just two points in the first half but contributed with six assists and four defensive rebounds.
Carla Leite and Chloe Bibby led Golden State with eight points each in the first half. Kayla Thornton had seven points and five rebounds.
1Q: Fever 21, Valkyries 12
Monique Billings scored four of the Valkyries’ first seven points in the quarter against the Fever. Kayla Thornton and the Valkyries led Caitlin Clark and the Fever 7-2 with 7:43 left in the opening quarter. Thornton has scored three points.
Natasha Howard would help rally the Fever with four points as part of an 11-0 scoring run to take a 13-7 lead with 3:08 left in the quarter. The scoring run was built up to 14-0 before Golden State’s Chloe Bibby made a layup off an assist from Laeticia Amihere.
Clark went scoreless in the first quarter.
Fever’s starting lineup vs. Valkyries
Guard Caitlin Clark
Guard Kelsey Mitchell
Guard Lexie Hull
Forward Natasha Howard
Forward Aliyah Boston
Valkyries’ starting lineup vs. Fever
Guard Carla Leite
Guard Veronica Burton
Forward Kayla Thornton
Forward Stephanie Talbot
Center Monique Billings
What time is Fever vs. Valkyries?
The WNBA regular-season game between the Indiana Fever and Golden State Valkyries is scheduled to tip at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. local time).
How to watch Fever vs. Valkyries WNBA game: TV, stream for Caitlin Clark
The WNBA regular-season game between the Indiana Fever and Golden State Warriors will be streamed nationally exclusively via Amazon Prime, with only local affiliates in the Bay Area and Indianapolis able to televise the game.
Time: 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT
Location: Chase Center in San Francisco, California
TV: KPIX 5 (Bay Area), KOVR 13 (Sacramento), WTHR Channel 13 (Indianapolis)
Stream: Amazon Prime
Watch Fever vs. Valkyries with Amazon Prime