Indianapolis (AP) — Caitlin Clark scored 20 points and dished out nine assists while playing nearly the entire game, but the Indiana Fever lost 103-88 to the Seattle Storm on Thursday.
Seattle Storm 103, Indiana Fever 88 (Box score)
Jewell Loyd scored 22 points, and Skylar Diggins-Smith added 18 points and nine assists as the Storm (5-3) set a season record for points. Nneka Ogwumike scored 17 points for the Storm.
Clark, who made three 3-pointers in front of a nearly sold-out crowd, could not keep the Fever from falling to 1-8, the league’s second worst record.
The Storm scored a 10-0 run in the first quarter and never trailed again.
What a performance by Jewell Loyd tonight as the Seattle Storm dominated the Fever 👏
Jewell played with poise and toughness, racking up 22 PTS and dishing out 6 AST 🔥#WelcometotheW pic.twitter.com/Be5ALKudZu
— WNBA (@WNBA) May 31, 2024
Seattle led 47-41 at halftime and went on a 12-2 run to start the third quarter. The Storm made 12 of 17 shots in the quarter, outscoring the Fever 34-18.
Loyd, the league’s reigning scoring leader, had a season-high 32 points in a May 22 home victory over Indiana.
LOYD AT THE BUZZER 🚨 pic.twitter.com/DT4NCzlqgr
— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) May 30, 2024
Fever forward Nalyssa Smith, who returned to the starting lineup following Temi Fagbenle’s left foot injury, scored 15 of her team-high 23 points in the first half. She also tallied 10 rebounds.
As the gap grew, Fever coach Christie Sides received a technical foul for appealing a non-call on Clark’s drive to the basket.
