Caitlin Clark ties rookie 3-point record as Fever beat Dream, move closer to ending playoff drought

Indiana has not been to the playoffs since 2016

By Jack Maloney Aug 26, 2024 at 10:35 pm ET• 1 min read

The Indiana Fever picked up their biggest win in nearly a decade on Monday night, as they held off the Atlanta Dream, 84-79, on the road. In the process, No. 1 overall pick Caitlin Clark tied Dream guard Rhyne Howard for the all-time rookie 3-point record with her 85th of the season. 

Aliyah Boston helped the Fever jump out to a quick 8-0 lead, but the Dream soon worked their way back into the game, which foreshadowed how the night would go. The Fever were in control the entire way, and led by as many as 18 points, but were unable to put the Dream away for good until the closing seconds. A late run got the home team within three points, but they missed multiple game-tying 3-pointers, and Kelsey Mitchell hit two free throws to ice it. 

Mitchell finished with 29 points to lead the Fever in the scoring department, while Clark had 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in a solid all-around performance. The latter went 4 of 9 from behind the arc, including a smooth step-back over Howard early in the fourth quarter to tie her rookie 3-point mark. 

While Clark's shot has come and gone throughout the season, she's making a stout 33% of her 8.5 attempts per game and is second only to Kayla McBride in total makes. The Fever have 10 games remaining, so Clark should easily become the first rookie to make 100 3s in a season.