Match report: Fever has almost completed its comeback with the Mystics and thus ends the regular season

WASHINGTON, DC – The Indiana Fever (20-20) lost to the Washington Mystics, 92-91, in their final regular season game Thursday night at Capital One Arena. Thursday’s game was played in front of a sold-out crowd of 20,711, setting a WNBA record for the highest attendance in league history. Indiana now travels to face the No. 3 seed Connecticut Sun in the opener of its first round of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on ABC.

Indiana’s reserve guard finished the game with a season-high 53 points scored, and four Fever players scored in double figures. Fever guard Kristy Wallace led Indiana with a season-high 17 points and four rebounds. Fever forward NaLyssa Smith followed with 16 points and five rebounds, while center Aliyah Boston and reserve forward Katie Lou Samuelson both added 10 points and combined for seven rebounds, six assists and three steals in the loss. Fever rookie guard Caitlin Clark had eight points, eight assists and five rebounds in about 20 minutes of play. Clark finished the night with the franchise record for most points scored in a regular season with 769 points. Indiana shot 53.1 percent (33 of 64) from the field and 10 of 20 three-pointers in the loss and achieved a season-high 28 assists.

Indiana led 20-2 early in the first quarter, but back-to-back 3-point field goals and a layup by Washington late in the first quarter sparked a 20-4 run by the Mystics, and Indiana only led 24-22 heading into the second quarter. The Mystics’ run late in the first quarter carried into the second quarter, and Washington eventually led 52-45 at halftime. Indiana had to call a timeout after Washington opened the second half with a 12-3 run, but the Mystics outscored Indiana again 30-21 to lead by 16 entering the final quarter. The Fever went on a 22-8 run to end the game and outscored Washington 25-10, but it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback fueled by the Fever bench.

Five players for the Mystics (14-26) scored in double figures in the narrow victory, led by reserve forward Sika Koné, who scored a game-high 20 points, hitting 7 of 10 field shots, along with seven rebounds and two assists. Mystics guard Ariel Atkins and forward Emily Engstler both scored 17 points. Atkins scored 11 of her 17 points in the second quarter alone and also recorded three steals. Engstler tied a single-game season high with three made 3-pointers and also had five rebounds, five assists, one block and one steal.

Next
The Fever begin the first round of the 2024 WNBA playoffs on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET at the Connecticut Sun. Sunday’s game will be televised on ABC.