SEATTLE -- The Indiana Fever weathered the Seattle Storm, winning 94-86 in a packed arena of over 18,000 fans. Indiana prevailed in the key moments down the stretch in a physical game from start to finish. With the win, the Fever moved to 7-7 while the Storm dropped to 9-6 in the young season. Despite Indiana star Caitlin Clark shooting poorly in front of her numerous supporters, her teammates stepped up to secure the win.

Both teams started the game in a low-scoring affair, with the Fever leading 27-24 after the first. Aliyah Boston (uh-LEE-uh) led the scoring after the period for Indiana with eight points and three rebounds. She finished with a career-high 31 points, eight rebounds, and three assists in the win. Damiris Dantas (duh-MEER-iss DAHN-tahs) also scored eight points off the bench while grabbing two rebounds in the quarter. Reigning Western Conference Player of the Week, Nneka Ogwumike (NEH-kuh oh-gwoo-MIH-kay) scored six of her 16 points in the quarter. Gabby Williams scored five points in the period while showing her elite defensive impact with one steal. She finished with 11 points, two rebounds, and two steals in the loss. Skylar Diggins impacted the team in multiple ways in the first quarter, scoring four points, three assists, one steal, and one block. Although Clark is known as an elite offensive player, she finished with three steals, two of which were in the opening period. She scored six points, grabbed two rebounds, and had nine assists in the win. Clark also had eight turnovers, which showed how the Storm pressured her. As the first half came to a close, Indiana stepped up defensively on the road. 

Before Seattle and the Fever entered their locker rooms, Indiana extended their lead, 45-39. Kelsey Mitchell scored 15 points, four rebounds, and one assist in the half. Although Lexie Hull didn’t score in either quarter, she finished with a team-high +12 as she returned to her home state. Hull, a Spokane native, spoke before the win about coming back home to play in front of her family and friends.  

“The great thing about this league is [that] you get to go across the country, going to go to places that are near home,” she said before the win. “Getting to come back to Washington and play in a state that I love [and] I grew up in is really special. To be able to have friends and family be able to come out and see us play is really special.”

Hull takes pride in playing in front of her hometown, wanting to build on her annual success in front of her family at the professional level. Ezi Magbegor (Eh-Zee Mag-Buh-GORE) scored six of her nine points in the half to go with three rebounds, three assists, one block, and one steal. Despite only playing three minutes in the half, Dominique Malonga (Muh-LONG-uh) scored four points and grabbed one rebound in the loss. As both teams exited their respective locker rooms for the second half, Indiana continued to weather the Storm. 

After a strong first-half start, the Fever kept their foot on the gas, extending their lead to 75-58. Following a scoreless half, Hull scored 10 points off two corner three-pointers and multiple attacks to the rim. Indiana Head Coach Stephanie White praised Hull, stating she is almost impossible to take off the floor. 

“The ultimate compliment to any player is that they never give you a reason to take them off the floor, and that’s Lexie,” White said before the win. “She’s always working her tail off on the defensive end, doing all the little things it takes to position us for success… .” 

She finished with a double-double with 15 points and a career-high 11 rebounds in the win. Mitchell caught fire in the third quarter, finishing with 26 points on eight makes from her 14 attempts from the floor. She also added four rebounds and four assists in the game. Seattle struggled to rebound the ball, which was a key to the result. They surrendered 38 rebounds, including 15 offensive, while grabbing 21 of their own. The Storm has been emphasizing the importance of rebounding all season, and it was a vital part of the game. Seattle also turned the ball over 17 times while forcing 15. In a single-digit game, taking care of the ball also plays a big part in winning.   

As both teams look for ways to build on the result of the game, they’ll each have a short turnaround to do so. The Storm will complete a three-game homestand as they face the Connecticut Sun on Saturday, June 27th. The Fever will return home to face the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday, June 26th, hoping to build momentum after their win in the Emerald City.