Caitlin Clark and the Fever fought from behind for most of Thursday's game against the Storm in Seattle.
Jewell Loyd and the Storm were on fire from the field, while Clark couldn't find her offensive rhythm. That remained the case until late in the third quarter, when the Fever and their rookie phenom finally caught fire.
Clark reached 21 points despite dealing with Skylar Diggins-Smith's dogged defense. But despite her late surge, Indiana lost its fifth straight game to open the season, falling 85-83 in front of a sold-out crowd at Seattle's Climate Pledge Arena.
A handful of mishaps at the end of the game on both ends created a hectic final 14 seconds. The final 14 seconds of game time took over 15 minutes of real time to complete between timeouts, challenges and replay reviews, and amid all of that, the Fever's comeback attempt fell short.
In addition to Loyd's 32-point, 11-rebound, 6-assist performance, Nneka Ogwumike tallied 22 points and Nika Muhl made her WNBA debut for Seattle.
Clark, who finished with seven assists and didn't pick up a turnover until late in the contest, will attempt to get her first WNBA win on the road vs. Cameron Brink and the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday, May 24.
STREAM: Watch regular season WNBA games on Sling
Caitlin Clark stats
- Points: 21
- Rebounds: 7
- Assists: 7
- Steals: 0
- Blocks: 2
- FGs: 6/16
- TOs: 3
Fever vs. Storm score
| 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Final |
| Fever | 16 | 24 | 20 | 23 | 83 |
| Storm | 25 | 19 | 14 | 27 | 85 |
Fever vs. Storm live score, updates, highlights from WNBA regular season
(All times Eastern)
FINAL: Storm 85, Fever 83
12:14 a.m.: Stoppage after stoppage and Indiana gets tied up on the inbound. The Fever lose the jump, and the Storm go back to the free throw line. Seattle holds on 85-83
12:08 a.m.: After Clark knocks down two free throws, the Storm turn the ball over on the inbound. Referees make the call via replay review. Fever have 11 seconds down 84-83.
12 a.m.: Challenge is successful, so no free throw for Mitchell. Storm lead 83-81 with 14 seconds left.
11:57 p.m.: Mitchell with the And-1! The call is being challenged, so to be determined if this stands.
11:54 p.m.: Clark is starting to find her groove scoring, trying to keep the Fever in the game with a minute left.
11:49 p.m.: Loyd goes 3-for-3 on the free throw line and is up to 31 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.
11:46 p.m.: Sami Whitcomb nails a 3-pointer to give Seattle the 76-72 lead. She picks up a steal on the next possession.
11:44 p.m.: It's back and forth as the game enters the final five minutes of play.
11:40 p.m.: Mitchell knocks down a 3-pointer to tie the game at 67-67, but Loyd answers with a bucket on the other end.
11:34 p.m.: The Storm have retaken the lead and are leading 65-60 early in the fourth quarter.
3Q: Fever 60, Storm 58
11:23 p.m.: Clark ties the game at 54-54 with a step-back 3 and followed up with an assist to give the Fever their largest lead of the night at two points. All of a sudden the Storm's momentum is gone.
11:22 p.m.: Muhl enters the game for the first time and gets a big ovation.
11:20 p.m.: Seattle leads 54-50 with under three minutes remaining in the third quarter, but it feels like a much larger margin.
11:13 p.m.: There goes Clark! She drains a step-back 3-pointer for her first 3 of the contest.
11:08 p.m.: Yeah, Loyd did not cool down during halftime. She's still on fire and up to 24 points and 10 rebounds.
11:05 p.m.: Clark can't get shots to fall tonight. She missed another 3-pointer early in the second half.
HALF: Storm 44, Fever 40
10:45 p.m.: The Fever are staying within striking distance of the Storm, but Seattle has momentum still. Every possession the Storm seem to find a good opportunity.
10:37 p.m.: Loyd is just tormenting the Indiana defense in front of a sell-out crowd. She's up to 19 points on 8-of-13 from the field.
10:36 p.m.: Boston picks up her third foul with 5:37 left in the second quarter. Not good for the Fever moving forward, especially with how well Ogwumike has been playing.
10:32 p.m.: Timeout on the floor as Storm leads 32-26 with 5:52 remaining in the second quarter.
10:30 p.m.: Clark's free throw was the Fever's first points outside of the paint.
10:27 p.m.: Clark picks up her first two points of the night on a layup.
10:26 p.m.: Second quarter underway, but Muhl hasn't checked in just yet.
1Q: Storm 25, Fever 16
10:20 p.m.: Loyd again! She's up to 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting in the first quarter.
10:17 p.m.: Loyd is heating up! She's up to seven points as the Storm went on a 9-0 run. Storm leads 20-14.
10:15 p.m.: Clark is taking a rest on the bench with over four minutes remaining in the first quarter. She's scoreless on two shots.
10:10 p.m.: Clark's been quiet early on with Diggins-Smith guarding her tightly. She's not forcing much and opting for the smart pass out of trouble.
10:07 p.m.: The offenses are cooking early as Seattle leads 9-8 with about seven minutes left in the first quarter.
10:04 p.m.: We're live in Seattle, and the Storm score first.
9:51 p.m.: Under 10 minutes until tip-off in Seattle!
9:41 p.m.: Starting fives for tonight's matchup:
Fever:
- Caitlin Clark
- NaLyssa Smith
- Kelsey Mitchell
- Kristy Wallace
- Aliyah Boston
Storm:
- Skylar Diggins-Smith
- Victoria Vivians
- Ezi Magbegor
- Nneka Ogwumike
- Jewell Loyd
9:18 p.m.: Muhl will wear No. 1 for the Storm. She wore No. 10 at UConn, but Seattle retired No. 10 for Sue Bird. Bird helped Muhl pick No. 1.
8:43 p.m.: Nika Muhl is rocking a shirt with her own visa application on it. As the shirt said, she is approved to play and will make her debut tonight.
8:22 p.m.: Caitlin Clark is in the building in Seattle!
Fever vs. Storm start time
- Date: Wednesday, May 22
- Time: 10 p.m. ET
Fever vs. Storm will tip off at 10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 22 at Seattle's Climate Pledge Arena.
How to watch Fever vs. Storm
- TV channel: WTHR-13, FOX 13+
- Live stream: WNBA League Pass
There isn't a national broadcast for Wednesday's Fever vs. Storm matchup, so fans will have to tune into local broadcasts if in the Indiana or Seattle areas.
If not in those markets, fans can live stream the game on WNBA League Pass.
Indiana Fever schedule 2024
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) |
| May 24 | at Los Angeles | 10 p.m. |
| May 25 | at Las Vegas | 9 p.m. |
| May 28 | vs. Los Angeles | 7 p.m. |
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