INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Kelsey Mitchell had 23 points, Lexie Hull scored all 14 of her points in the second half and the short-handed Indiana Fever, playing without Caitlin Clark, beat the Washington Mystics 85-76 on Tuesday night to snap a three-game losing streak.
Clark was out with a left quad strain, while veteran guard Sophie Cunningham exited early in Friday’s loss to Connecticut and did not play against the Mystics.
The Fever scored 31 points in the third quarter — after scoring 38 in the entire first half — to take a 69-55 lead. Aari McDonald, making her Indiana debut, made the Fever’s fifth 3-pointer of the third with 2:29 left.
Washington scored the opening 12 points of the fourth quarter to get within 69-67 on layup by Brittney Sykes.
But Indiana scored seven straight points to pull away. Hull made an open layup for a 78-73 lead and she helped force a jump ball at the other end. The Fever won the jump ball and Mitchell completed a three-point play, after a reverse layup, for an eight-point lead at 1:28.
Aliyah Boston added 10 points for Indiana (3-4).
Kiki Iriafen and Sykes each scored 20 points for Washington (3-5). Sonia Citron, second among rookies at 14.3 points per game, added 13 points and Shakira Austin had 10.
The Fever made a season-high 11 3-pointers, while the Mystics were just 1 of 10 from long range.
___