UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Alyssa Thomas recorded her 15th career triple-double and spoiled Caitlin Clark’s playoff debut, but the Connecticut Suns beat the Indiana Fever 93-69 in Game 1 of a best-of-three series on Sunday.
Thomas had 12 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds for her fourth triple-double of the playoffs. Marina Mabry led the third-seeded Suns with 27 points, 20 of which came in the second half. Her 27 points were the most by a reserve player in the playoffs, according to ESPN.
Game 2 would be played Wednesday night in Connecticut, with a decisive Game 3 potentially being played Friday night in Indiana, if necessary.
Clark, who was named the Associated Press Rookie of the Year on the same day, bounced back from a tough start to finish with 11 points and eight assists. Kelsey Mitchell scored 21 points and Aaliyah Boston added 17 points and 11 rebounds for Indiana.
The Suns came into the game with 222 playoff appearances, while the Fever had just 19 and no experience in their starting lineup. This was Indiana’s first playoff appearance since 2016, when Connecticut head coach Stephanie White led the Fever.
Inexperience didn’t seem to faze the Fever early on, and it probably helped that, as in most of the Fever’s away games this season, nearly half the crowd – many of them wearing Clarke shirts – were cheering on everything they did.
The first 16 minutes were a back-and-forth affair, with Indiana leading 36-34 with 3:45 left in the first half. The Sun then took control, going on a 12-2 run through the first 20 minutes of the half.
DeWanna Bonner scored four points in the spurt and made a strong block on a layup by Clark. Bonner had 16 points in the first 20 minutes. Clark was quiet in the first half, making 1 of 9 shots and scoring just three points.
She missed her first two shots of the third quarter before the Fever called a timeout. Clark slammed the bench in frustration. That spurred her on, and she made her next three shots to try and get the Fever going, but it wasn’t enough, as Mabry answered her shots and finished with 11 points in the third quarter. Clark shot 4 of 17.
The first half was also full of action, including a stoppage 48 seconds into the game when Indiana protested a foul that was called on the wrong player. Indiana successfully protested. About 45 seconds later, Clark was accidentally poked in the right eye by Di’Jonai Carrington and briefly collapsed before being removed from the court.
A few minutes later, Tayshia Harris injured her right foot while trying to block a shot and was helped off the court and then returned to the bench with her ankle heavily bandaged.
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