The Indiana Fever opened their Commissioner's Cup defense with an 83-71 win over the Atlanta Dream on Thursday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Kelsey Mitchell was the story. She scored 25 points on 11-of-15 shooting and became the latest member of the WNBA's 5,000-point club. Eleven of those points came during a third-quarter run that completely changed the game.
Atlanta had actually taken a 43-42 lead early in the third after Naz Hillmon drilled a three. Coach Stephanie White called a timeout, and Indiana came out of it like a different team. Aliyah Boston blocked a shot and then scored. Caitlin Clark hit a three to make it 47-43, and then Mitchell went on a personal 11-0 run that pushed the lead to 58-43. The Dream never recovered.
Clark finished with 17 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds. Boston added 19 points, seven boards, and three blocks.
It was also the first meeting this season between Clark and Angel Reese, who now plays for Atlanta after her offseason move. The Dream came in with a 6-2 record and had won two straight, but Indiana's defense held them to a season-low 71 points.
The Fever had some off-court noise this week after questions about a sideline exchange between Clark and White during last weekend's loss in Portland. Thursday's win probably quiets that for now. Indiana heads to New York on Saturday. The Dream host Washington.