MINNEAPOLIS – Kelsey Mitchell scored 21 points, and Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark each finished with 17 points to help the Indiana Fever beat the Minnesota Lynx 81-74 on Sunday.
Boston grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds and blocked four shots for the Fever. NaLyssa Smith added 11 points.
Indiana (11-14), which lost 10 of its first 13 games, has won eight of 12 since then. The team has won consecutive games and three of the last four.
Clark set up Boston for a layup before Katie Lou Samuelson fed Boston for another inside layup to give the Fever a four-point lead with 2 minutes remaining. Kayla McBride cut the deficit to one point with a 3-pointer just 8 seconds later, but Clark was fouled and hit two free throws to make it 77-74.
Mitchell jumped in to block an Alanna Smith layup attempt with 22 seconds remaining, was fouled and made two free throws to make it a five-point game with 16 seconds remaining. Clark committed two fouls to end the scoring 6 seconds later.
Alanna Smith had 18 points, eight rebounds and four steals despite being forced to the bench for a second-half foul for Minnesota (16-8). Bridget Carleton tied her career high with five 3-pointers and finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
Minnesota star Napheesa Collier, who is averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds, missed her fourth consecutive game with a foot injury.
Courtney Williams made a layup that tied the score at 50 and Dorka Juhasz followed with a layup, Clark was called for a technical foul for hitting Cecilia Zandalasini in the face, who hooked Clark’s arm on the break. McBride sank the ensuing free throw before Carleton hit a 3 and Williams made two foul shots to take an eight-point lead with a minute left in the third quarter.
Clark, who shot 1 of 9 from behind the arc in the first three quarters, hit a contested, deep 3 to open the quarter. Mitchell and Samuelson each added 3 to make it 63-63 with 8 minutes remaining.
Samuelson fired a left shot high off the glass with the shot clock winding down and Clark rattled his defender with a series of moves for an open layup that gave the Fever a 67-65 lead with 6:44 to play.
Alanna Smith responded with a 3 about a minute later, but Mitchell responded with a step-back jumper and then grabbed the rebound of a Clark miss and put it in to make it 71-68. Zandalasini made a step-back 3-pointer to tie it again with 4:26 left.
Boston had 11 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in the first half.
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