WNBA Breakdown: Fever Dominate Sun 88-71 as Clark and Charles Shine with 20-Point Performances

Fever’s Offensive Firepower Overwhelms Sun

The Indiana Fever delivered a statement win against the Connecticut Sun, cruising to an 88-71 victory at home. The scoreline tells part of the story, but the underlying stats reveal why this wasn’t just a win—it was a systematic dismantling.

Key Performers: Clark and Charles Duel

Caitlin Clark (Fever) and Tina Charles (Sun) both dropped 20 points, but their efficiency told different tales. Clark went 6-of-12 from the field, including a blistering 4-of-6 from deep, while Charles needed 17 shots to reach her total. As a data guy, I love efficiency, and Clark’s 66.7% true shooting percentage is the kind of number that makes me nod approvingly at my spreadsheet.

Clark’s Line: 20 PTS | 6 AST | ⁴⁄₆ 3PM | +19 +/- Charles’ Line: 20 PTS | 4 REB | ⁸⁄₈ FT | -12 +/-

The Hidden Hero: NaLyssa Howard

While Clark’s shooting grabbed headlines, NaLyssa Howard quietly dominated the glass with 12 rebounds (7 offensive). For context: the Sun as a team had just 9 offensive boards. Howard’s relentless hustle gave the Fever extra possessions—something my analytics models always reward.

Sun’s Struggles: More Than Just Shooting

Connecticut shot just 38.2% from the field, but their real issue was ball movement. Only 13 assists on 24 made baskets? That’s isolation-heavy basketball, and in today’s WNBA, that’s a recipe for losses. Their bench production (led by Brown’s 13 points) was decent, but when your starters get outplayed this badly, it’s tough to recover.

What This Means Moving Forward

The Fever (now 6-5) are figuring things out at the right time. If Clark keeps shooting like this and Howard cleans the glass, they could be playoff-bound. Meanwhile, the Sun (2-9) need to reevaluate their offensive identity—fast.

Final thought: Basketball isn’t just about who scores the most; it’s about who controls the math. Tonight, the Fever solved the equation.