The Indiana Fever secured an 87-78 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks after losing their season opener. Caitlin Clark led the team with 24 points and nine assists, while Kelsey Mitchell added 23 points.
Key points
Indiana Fever won 87-78 against Los Angeles Sparks
Caitlin Clark scored 24 points and had nine assists
Kelsey Mitchell added 23 points for the Fever
Fever avoided an 0-2 start to the season
Aliyah Boston failed to hit a field goal for the first time
Indiana FeverLos Angeles SparksCaitlin ClarkKelsey Mitchell
Caitlin Clark, Fever bounce back from tough opening-night loss to beat Sparks
Caitlin Clark, Fever bounce back from tough opening-night loss to beat Sparks
The Indiana Fever bounced back from their season-opening loss with a comfortable 87-78 road win over the Los Angeles Sparks Wednesday night. Led by Caitlin Clarkâs 24 points and nine assists and Kelsey Mitchellâs 23 points, the Fever, who lost their opener to the Dallas Wings, avoided an 0-2 start to the season before returning to Indianapolis for a four-game homestand.
Los Angeles cut the margin to single digits in the fourth quarter but never truly threatened to change the outcome despite Kelsey Plumâs 25 points. Indiana even survived a night when Aliyah Boston failed to hit a field goal for the first time in her career.
Here is what we learned from the Feverâs win.
Caitlin Clark moving well
Clark spoke pregame about the confidence she gained from the first game of the season when her back tightened up, but she was able to return and play eight more minutes.
âItâs going to take me a little bit to really get over this mental hurdle of trusting my body,â Clark said after playing 30 minutes and running 4.6 miles against Dallas, per her teamâs tracking metrics.
Clark looked plenty comfortable on the court against the Sparks, despite wearing a wrap around her back during starting lineup introductions. She was getting to the basket easily to start, leading to a couple of runners to get her on the board. Her footwork was clean in the post, and she had a nice crossover past .
Q&A
What was the final score of the Indiana Fever vs. Los Angeles Sparks game?
The Indiana Fever defeated the Los Angeles Sparks with a final score of 87-78.
Who were the top scorers for the Indiana Fever in their win against the Sparks?
Caitlin Clark scored 24 points and Kelsey Mitchell contributed 23 points in the Fever's win.
How did the Indiana Fever perform in their season opener before beating the Sparks?
The Indiana Fever lost their season opener to the Dallas Wings before bouncing back to beat the Sparks.
What notable performance did Aliyah Boston have in the game against the Sparks?
Aliyah Boston did not hit a field goal for the first time in her career during the game against the Sparks.
âI feel like my speed and my burst is back, and that helps me get downhill,â Clark said postgame.
L.A. tried to target her on the other end, but she held up pretty well in isolation and was able to pick off a couple of passes to create transition scores.
The 3-ball wasnât exactly working for Clark, who hit just 1 of 7 attempts, but she was efficient inside the arc, making 8 of her 10 2-pointers.
âMy shot feels great, and I feel like itâs right there,â she said. âThe best thing I can do for this team is play make.â
Clark did have five turnovers, a couple of which happened when she simply miscommunicated with her new teammates. Overall, her offensive game looks to be on track, even if the opponent wasnât the toughest test.
Indiana D takes a step
The only credit coach Steph White would give her teamâs defense was that it was better than in its first game, despite Clarkâs protestations that if the Fever give up 78 points every night, theyâll win a lot of games. White said Indiana was a little too foul-happy and didnât start the game defending ball screens well. She did appreciate the improvement in transition defense, with the Fever surrendering just 11 fast-break points as opposed to 25 against Dallas. Indiana forced L.A. into more midrange jumpers than 3-point shots, a huge defensive win. The Fever caused 19 turnovers and allowed only four offensive rebounds.
The Sparks didnât exactly make defending difficult for Indiana, but there were a lot of positive indicators for the Fever heading into Fridayâs matchup against the Washington Mystics.
Sparksâ puzzling offense
Even as L.A. struggled to put together stops in the 2025 season, the promise of Lynne Robertsâ offensive system was clear. The Sparks were able to create high-quality shots at the rim and from beyond the arc and make teams work defensively, even if they gave it all back on the other end. That hasnât been the case through the first two games of 2026. The defense is still below par, but the offense is, too.
The ball isnât moving for L.A., and that means the scoring is taking place in isolation instead of off assists. The Sparks had 13 assists on 28 made field goals, compared to 19 turnovers, and arenât creating looks from beyond the arc. They only took 15 3-point attempts, a total that should be at least twice as high considering the kind of offense theyâre running, and the shot distribution is a little awkward, with Nneka Ogwumike finishing with just five field-goal attempts compared to 16 for Plum and 10 for Burrell. It felt like an overcorrection from the opener against the Las Vegas Aces, when Burrell didnât take a shot in the first half.
There are new additions to the roster who arenât familiar with Robertsâ system â she compared the growing pains to a teenage awkward phase â but the blemishes need to clear up soon for L.A. to accomplish its stated goal of making the postseason.
