Caitlin Clark delivered 22 points and 9 assists as the Indiana Fever battled through a physical Golden State Valkyries team, pulling away late for a 90-82 win after leading by just seven at halftime. Clark also sparked controversy around an earlier injury-repo
The Indiana Fever walked into Thursday night ready for more than basketball.
Golden State came out aggressive, especially in the way it forced the tempo and dared Indiana to absorb it. For a half, the Fever were still chasing answers. They trailed by seven at the break.
Then Caitlin Clark took the game personally—pushing pace, trading emotion, and refusing to let the Valkyries keep their momentum. The Fever fought through Golden State’s physicality and pulled away late to secure a 90-82 win.
Clark, the returning spark for Indiana, finished with 22 points and 9 assists. She also carried a sharp edge in the moment, including trash talk throughout the night.
Right before halftime, Clark had a heated exchange with Janelle Salaun. Later, after a logo three tied things up midway through the third, she made it clear she wasn’t done setting the tone. The Fever’s offense had to find its rhythm, and Clark’s competitiveness helped it get there.
That intensity showed up in the officiating, too. Clark received a technical foul—her second of the season—stemming from her exchange with Salaun before halftime. She also was called for a flagrant foul for a screen she set on Veronica Burton late in the game.
Still, Indiana’s best moments weren’t built on Clark alone. Aliyah Boston powered the glass with 20 points and 16 rebounds, and Kelsey Mitchell added 19 points. The combination made it hard for Golden State to contain the Fever’s core for long stretches.
The bench mattered when the game tightened. Sophie Cunningham hit big shots off the bench after struggling early, scoring five points in under a minute in the decisive fourth quarter.
Raven Johnson Adds Another Thread to the Rotation
While Clark commanded the headlines on the court, rookie Raven Johnson has been steadily carving out her place in the Fever’s regular rotation—especially with the backup point guard minutes.
The Fever’s Wednesday win over the Portland Fire featured Tyasha Harris starting for Clark, but Johnson has taken on a larger share of the backup role in recent games.
Against Golden State, Johnson played alongside Clark for a stretch and made her impact felt quickly. She contributed strong defense and had 7 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists in 15 minutes. Her most notable shot came late: a clutch three from the corner—one that figures to matter for her development as her confidence grows.
The earlier buzz around Indiana, though, didn’t come from her. It came from Clark’s availability.
A League Warning, and White’s Unfiltered Response
Clark’s late scratch prior to the Fever’s game against the Portland Fire had been a major talking point across the league. Indiana received a warning from the WNBA because Clark wasn’t added to the injury report before being ruled out. Head coach Stephanie White said Clark missed practice on Tuesday. but she still faced a reprimand about how the situation was handled.
When asked about the warning before the game against the Valkyries, White didn’t soften her stance. Her response was blunt: “For what?”
She added that Indiana had handled things the right way, and when pressed about speaking with the medical team, she said, “I’m sorry.”
Clark, for her part, later spoke about missing the Portland game with a back issue. She said she didn’t even know she wasn’t going to play until not long before tip-off, and she described the process of rebuilding confidence in trusting her body after missing so much of last season with injury.
On Thursday night, the Fever answered those questions the only way they could—by surviving a rough, swarming opponent and finishing strong. Clark and Indiana passed another test, turning late-game execution into separation even when Golden State kept pushing.
Caitlin Clark Indiana Fever Golden State Valkyries WNBA Raven Johnson Stephanie White Aliyah Boston Kelsey Mitchell Sophie Cunningham Janelle Salaun Veronica Burton