After enjoying a 24-day Olympic break, the Indiana Fever is back on the court. Today, on August 17th, the Indiana Fever is facing off against Brittney Griner and the Phoenix Mercury. Coming off a recent win against the Chicago Sky, the Mercury is vying for their first win against the Fever. But it seems nothing of the sort will happen today, thanks to rookie Caitlin Clark and her new partner in crime.

To applaud Clark and her teammate NaLyssa Smith’s performance on the court, the WNBA took to their official X account and penned, “Tough bucket from NaLyssa Smith @TyHaliburton22 approves.” Alongside the note, they pinned a video where Clark got the ball and then passed it to Smith. Within a few seconds, Smith took control and attempted a shot that gave the team two points.

Well, this is just a glimpse of Indiana Fever’s impressive play against the Mercury today. By halftime, four players on the Indiana Fever have double-digit points, leaving the opponent team struggling with a massive 17-point deficit. While the 2024 WNBA Draft overall No. 1 pick is off with 29 points and 10 assists, the team’s scoring machine, Smith, is following with 13 points and 9 rebounds.

What else would you expect from these players? The Indiana Fever is performing today in front of Indianapolis’ men’s team, the Indiana Pacers’ standout Tyrese Haliburton, who made it to the arena to cheer for the young ladies. It seems like Haliburton made the trip to Gainbridge specifically to witness Clark on the court. “Hope y’all seeing what 22 doin’ at Gainbridge,” he penned on X. Sure enough, he wants to be a part of Clark’s journey to the ROTY accolade.

Caitlin Clark’s ultimate goal ROTY

Ever since Cameron Brink got benched, the ROTY race has been between arch-rivals Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark. After the Olympic break, both rookies are back in full form, each trying to outshine the other. In the last game, Chicago Sky’s rookie recorded a historic feat by registering 300+ rebounds in the first 25 games.

Now, the pressure is on Caitlin Clark as she needs to accomplish something big to pull ahead. And securing a win over the Phoenix Mercury turned out to be that chance. So far, Clark holds the record for the highest number of assists in a single game (19) and is the first rookie in history to achieve a triple-double.

For Clark, the Mercury is an easy feat, considering their history of losing against the Fever. Prior to today’s game, Clark had handed the Mercury 88-82 and 95-86 losses before the second half. And just like that, the Fever handed the Mercury a staggering 98-89 defeat. What do you think? Will Clark be able to overtake Angel Reese in the ROTY race? Stay tuned to find out!

Stay tuned for more such updates. And join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show”. Our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.