UNCASVILLE, Conn. (Interstat) — Caitlin Clark scored 25 points and added five assists as the Indiana Fever defeated the Connecticut Sun 85-75 on Saturday at Mohegan Sun Arena. Aliyah Boston posted a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds, Kelsey Mitchell scored 19 points and Monique Billings contributed 10 points and eight rebounds for Indiana (8-5). The Fever built a decisive lead with a 17-9 second quarter after a fast-paced first period. Indiana shot 49.2% from the field and 41.4% from 3-point range, making 12 of 29 attempts. Connecticut (2-13) shot 42.7% overall and 5 of 17 from beyond the arc. Olivia Nelson-Ododa led the Sun with 12 points and seven rebounds. Leila Lacan finished with 11 points and seven assists, and Brittney Griner scored 10 points. Indiana committed 17 turnovers, while Connecticut had nine. The Fever converted 13 of 19 free throws, while the Sun made 6 of 9. Attendance was 8,910.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (Interstat) — Caitlin Clark scored 25 points and the Indiana Fever used a dominant second quarter to build a lead they never relinquished, defeating the Connecticut Sun 85-75 on Saturday afternoon before 8,910 at Mohegan Sun Arena. The victory improved Indiana’s record to 8-5, while Connecticut dropped to 2-13 in a season that has been defined by offensive struggles and defensive lapses. The Sun entered the game having lost six straight and have now lost seven in a row. Indiana outscored Connecticut 30-29 in the opening quarter, a high-scoring frame that featured sharp shooting on both sides. Clark opened the scoring with a 25-foot step-back 3-pointer just 46 seconds into the game. Monique Billings added a driving layup on the next possession off a feed from Clark, giving the Fever an early 7-0 lead. Connecticut responded with a 26-foot 3-pointer from Diamond Miller and a layup by Aaliyah Edwards, but Indiana’s offense stayed hot. Kelsey Mitchell drilled a 26-foot 3-pointer from the wing with 5:50 left, extending the lead to 18-13. The Sun cut the deficit to one on a reverse layup by Olivia Nelson-Ododa late in the first, but Indiana closed the period with a Makayla Timpson layup and a free throw from Mitchell to take a 30-29 lead. The second quarter belonged entirely to Indiana’s defense. Connecticut managed only nine points in the period, shooting 4 of 14 from the floor and committing four turnovers. The Fever took advantage, outscoring the Sun 17-9 to take a 47-38 lead into halftime. Clark delivered the key sequence, blocking a Leila Lacan pullup jumper, grabbing the rebound and then feeding Mitchell for a driving layup. Mitchell later hit a 24-foot three-pointer with 3:10 left, forcing a Connecticut timeout. The Sun did not score a field goal in the final 4:31 of the half, and Brittney Griner missed a pair of jumpers in the closing seconds. Indiana’s lead grew to as many as 14 in the third quarter. Clark made a 26-foot three-pointer off a Billings assist with 7:37 left to put the Fever ahead 59-43. Connecticut chipped away, fueled by a 3-pointer from Edwards and a layup from Lacan. The Sun closed the third on an 11-7 run, capped by a 25-foot three from Charlisse Leger-Walker with 16.7 seconds left, trimming Indiana’s lead to 63-60 entering the fourth. The Fever regained control in the final period. Mitchell hit a technical free throw after a defensive three-seconds violation on Nelson-Ododa, and Clark answered a Lacan layup with a 24-foot three-pointer 8:06 from the end to push the lead back to 69-63. Connecticut cut the margin to four on a Griner layup with 4:42 left, but Sophie Cunningham took over down the stretch. The guard from Missouri hit a 25-foot three-pointer off an Aliyah Boston assist with 2:06 remaining, then buried another 26-footer with 1:34 left to make it 78-68. Cunningham added a driving layup and a final three-pointer in the last minute, sealing the victory. Clark finished with 25 points, three rebounds and five assists. She shot 9 of 15 from the field, including 4 of 9 from deep, and played 36 minutes. Kelsey Mitchell added 19 points and five assists, shooting 6 of 18 from the floor. Aliyah Boston recorded a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds, along with five assists. Billings contributed 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Cunningham scored 11 points, all in the fourth quarter, on 4-of-5 shooting. For Connecticut, Leila Lacan led the way with 11 points and seven assists. Olivia Nelson-Ododa had 12 points and seven rebounds. Kennedy Burke scored 10 points with four rebounds. Brittney Griner added 10 points, two rebounds and four assists, but struggled from the field, making 4 of 11 shots. Saniya Rivers finished with nine points, three rebounds and four assists. Indiana shot 49.2 percent from the floor, 41.4 percent from 3-point range and 68.4 percent from the free throw line. Connecticut shot 42.7 percent overall, 29.4 percent from deep and 66.7 percent at the stripe. The Fever turned the ball over 17 times, while the Sun committed only nine. Connecticut outscored Indiana in points off turnovers 17-12 but could not overcome the second-quarter drought. The game’s decisive stretch came in the second quarter when Indiana held Connecticut to nine points, their lowest output in any period this season. The Sun missed six of seven field goal attempts to open the quarter and did not score for more than three minutes at one point. Indiana next hosts Toronto on Tuesday. Connecticut returns home to face Washington on Wednesday. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Indiana 104, Connecticut 95. Interstat’s ELO system gave the Fever a 76.00 percent probability to win. Indiana was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 10.5. The total score of 85 went over the over/under line of 171.5.

WNBA: Fever at Sun UNCASVILLE, Conn. (Interstat) — The Indiana Fever visit the Connecticut Sun on Saturday at Mohegan Sun Arena in a matchup of teams heading in opposite directions. Indiana (6-5) carries a 78-76 win over Washington into the contest, while Connecticut (2-12) lost 106-102 in overtime to Toronto on Wednesday. Players to watch Indiana center Aliyah Boston posted 14 points, 10 rebounds and three assists in the win over the Mystics. She has recorded four double-doubles in her past eight games, averaging 16.2 points and 8.4 rebounds over that span. Boston scored a season-high 24 points with eight rebounds against Portland on May 20. Connecticut guard Leila Lacan scored a team-high 24 points with seven assists in the loss to Toronto. Lacan is averaging 12.2 points over her past five games but shot just 1 of 10 from the field for three points against Chicago on June 5. Recent results The Fever have alternated wins and losses over their past six games, beating Atlanta 83-71 on June 4 before falling to New York 83-75 on June 6. Indiana’s Caitlin Clark contributed 19 points and five assists in the win over Washington. The Sun have lost five straight and seven of their past eight. Their only win since May 20 came against Los Angeles, 84-81, on May 30. Simulation Interstat’s game simulator projects a 104-95 victory for Indiana. Up next Indiana returns home to face Toronto on Tuesday. Connecticut hosts Washington on Wednesday.