MINNEAPOLIS — Kelsey Mitchell scored 21 points, and Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark finished with 17 points to help the Indiana Fever beat the Minnesota Lynx 81-74 on Sunday.
Boston grabbed a career-best 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 but has won eight of 12 since, has won back-to-back games and three of its last four.
Clark set up Boston for a layup before Katie Lou Samuelson fed Boston for another basket inside to give the Fever a four-point lead with 2 minutes to go. Kayla McBride cut the deficit to a point with a 3-pointer just 8 seconds later but Clark was fouled and made two free throws to make it 77-74. Mitchell swooped in to block a layup attempt by Alanna Smith with 22 seconds remaining, was fouled and hit two free throws to make it a five-point game with 16 seconds left and Clark made two fouls shots to cap the scoring 6 seconds later.
Alanna Smith had 18 points, eight rebounds and four steals despite being forced to the bench by foul trouble in the second half 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's Napheesa Collier (foot) missed her fourth consecutive game.
Courtney Williams made a layup that tied the score at 50-all, Dorka Juhasz followed with a layup, Clark was called for a technical foul and McBride hit the ensuing free throw before Carleton hit a 3 and Williams hit two foul shots to take an eight-point lead with a minute to go in the third quarter.
Clark, who made 1 of 9 from behind the arc in the first three quarters, hit a deep contested 3 to open the fourth. Mitchell and Samuelson each added a 3 to make it 63-63 with 8 minutes to play.
Samuelson made a left-hand scoop shot high off the glass with the shot clock winding down and Clark shook her defender with a series of moves for a wide-open layup that gave the Fever a 67-65 lead with 6:44 to go. Alanna Smith answered with a 3 about a minute later but Mitchell responded with a step-back jumper and then grabbed the rebound of a miss by Clark and made the putback to make it 71-68. Cecilia 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.
Indiana 81, Minnesota 74
INDIANA (81) — N.Smith 4-7 3-3 11, Samuelson 3-6 0-0 8, Boston 8-11 1-2 17, Clark 5-17 5-5 17, Mitchell 8-18 2-2 21, Dantas 2-2 0-0 5, Hull 1-6 0-0 2, Wheeler 0-3 0-0 0. Totals: 31-70 11-12 81.
MINNESOTA (74) — A.Smith 6-15 4-4 18, Carleton 6-14 0-0 17, Juhász 4-8 0-0 8, McBride 4-14 1-1 11, Williams 4-9 2-2 10, Koné 0-1 0-0 0, Zandalasini 3-8 2-3 10, Hiedeman 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 27-70 9-10 74.
Indiana 20 18 15 28 — 81
Minnesota 19 19 22 14 — 74
3-Point Goals—Indiana 8-29 (Mitchell 3-9, Samuelson 2-4, Clark 2-11, Dantas 1-1, Hull 0-2, Wheeler 0-2), Minnesota 11-31 (Carleton 5-10, A.Smith 2-4, Zandalasini 2-5, McBride 2-10, Juhász 0-2). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Indiana 34 (Boston 16), Minnesota 34 (A.Smith 8). Assists—Indiana 19 (Clark 6), Minnesota 20 (Williams 7). Total Fouls—Indiana 11, Minnesota 16. A—18,978 (19,356).
