Five straight, and the box score that sealed the latest one has a triple-double next to Caitlin Clark's name. Quick catch-up before we dig in: Indiana's season has revolved around one question — can a roster built around Clark, Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston turn those explosive nights into something that works in the playoffs? Before Portland, the best evidence was that 123-88 demolition of Connecticut. It set a franchise scoring record and gave them another hundred-point night. The offense was starting to look sustainable. This is Indiana Fever Daily — and today we've finally got numbers, not vibes. We've got the five-game splits and a Mitchell streak with Taurasi's name attached. Minnesota's waiting Sunday. Where do we even start, Cera? Start with Portland. Let's talk about that triple-double. Fieldhouse Files, with Scott Agness:
The Indiana Fever stayed red-hot late Friday night, beating the Portland Fire 112-98 for their season-best fifth consecutive win. Caitlin Clark recorded her first triple-double of the season — and fourth as a pro — with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, while Kelsey Mitchell added 26 points and extended her remarkable streak to 13 straight games with at least 20 points and three made 3-pointers.
Fifth straight, 112-98 in Portland, and Clark's first triple-double of the season — 26, 10 and 10. She was everywhere. And look at the pattern underneath it: five straight games over 100. That record night earlier this month was the start of something. This is just how they play now. Mitchell quietly drops 26 and runs that streak to 13 games with 20-plus and three triples. Sporting News says that's more than twice as long as any other such streak in WNBA history. Six players in double figures. Timpson had 15 in nineteen minutes off the bench — that's the depth that travels. Good thing, too, because they're not done. Minnesota on Sunday to close the trip. Here's Jeremy Beren at Sporting News:
Clark's shooting splits in the past five games read 56 percent from the field, 49 percent from 3-point range and 91 percent from the free-throw line. She's averaging 29.4 points and 9.0 assists across those five games -- a stretch that includes her career-high 45-point performance against the Seattle Storm on July 17.
Okay, we hit the recap already, so forget the box score — look at the last five games. 56, 49, 91 percent splits, 29 and 9. Clark's gone up a level. I do want to be careful here, because it's easy to get swept up in a win streak. But you can't wave away that efficiency. Forty-nine percent from three on that volume is hard evidence. Her first triple-double since May of last year, and only four players have ever put up 26-10-10. I'll take the conversation about her leveling up over the ratings-symbol stuff any day of the week. Here's the thing, though — Minnesota's tomorrow, right after she puts up these splits in Portland. Collier's healthy, and the Lynx are still atop the power rankings. Now we find out if this travels against the league's best. Nine wins in eleven, seven by double digits, and Indiana's still fourth. So yeah — beat Minnesota, and then we can talk top seed. CBS Sports writes:
Cunningham was booed by the Moda Center crowd when she came into the game midway though the first quarter. Shortly thereafter, she hit a 3-pointer that put the Fever up 14-8. Cunningham finished with 13 points.
Final in Portland: Fever 112, Fire 98. That's five straight, and Clark fills up the sheet — 26, 10 and 10 for her fourth career triple-double. And Mitchell's right there with 26 of her own — that's game thirteen in a row over twenty. She matched Taurasi's number, and nobody blinked because Clark had a triple-double. It wasn't a clean finish, though. Indiana was up eighteen after three, then Carleton dropped 26 and Portland cut it to 100-93 with four minutes left. Yeah, a ten-point lead shouldn't get that sweaty against an 11-18 team. Clark hitting free throws to make it 110-96 is the only reason we're not chewing our nails. Five straight games over a hundred points, nine wins in eleven. The offense travels. Now let's see if it holds up Sunday against Minnesota. Indiana just filled the dev roster spot left by Justine Pissott with Michelle Onyiah — but she's never played a WNBA minute. How much can she realistically help a frontcourt that's missing Aliyah Boston? Probably not much right away. Her profile's still more interesting than your typical depth pickup. Onyiah is a 6-foot-3 forward who averaged 9.6 points and 6.9 rebounds in under 24 minutes a game for the Charlotte Crown this summer, per the UPSHOT League. She shot 52.8 percent from the field over 21 games and blocked 23 shots, so there is real rim protection there. Before that, she spent a year in Belgium's top division. In her final season at Cal, she was a full-time starter shooting a conference-leading 60.3 percent from the field, per USA Today. That paint efficiency has followed her at every level. Now, development contracts usually mean practice reps, film sessions and spot minutes, so Fever fans shouldn't expect her to replace an All-Star-caliber anchor like Boston. She does give Indiana another player with real size while Boston manages that lower-leg injury. She's also the first UPSHOT League player to land a WNBA contract. Does that say something about the ceiling Indiana sees for her, or did they just need another body up front right now? Probably a little of both. The Fever had a dev spot open for nearly four weeks after Pissott left for Las Vegas, so there was real urgency. But they didn't grab just anyone. Her efficiency and shot-blocking are useful skills in a pro frontcourt, and that UPSHOT milestone shows Indiana is paying attention to newer development pipelines. And with Boston's lower-leg issue lingering since Unrivaled, per SI, Indiana is testing its depth all the way down the roster. How Onyiah develops the rest of the season should tell us whether she's in the franchise's plans beyond this year. From Theresa Melisurgo at Last Word On Basketball:
The Minnesota Lynx have remained consistent the entire season thus far. The Lynx finally got their superstar Napheesa Collier back. After being sidelined due to ankle surgeries, Collier returned to action and did not miss a beat. In three games back, the forward is averaging 18.3 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and 1.7 steals per game.
Minnesota's 24-6 and riding a nine-game win streak. Collier's back averaging 18.3 over three games without missing a beat after those ankle surgeries. That's who Indiana gets tonight. Melisurgo has us fourth, citing Mitchell's consistency and that 8-2 surge. The streak's real. Indiana heads into tonight at nineteen and ten, with the top-ranked team waiting. That's my gripe, Cera. We've won five straight and Minnesota's still untouchable at number one — what does Indiana actually have to DO? Beat them on their floor, apparently. That's why tonight matters. We spent the week asking if this team can defend at that level. Now we get a healthy Collier and Olivia Miles running the show at nineteen points and six assists a night. And don't sleep on Vegas at number two — A'ja's got nine thirty-burgers and a forty-five-point night. The top of this league is nasty. It is. Indiana earned that fourth spot, and a ranking is just a snapshot. Forty minutes in Minnesota will tell us more than any list Melisurgo files. Enjoying Indiana Fever Daily? Subscribe wherever you're listening and leave us a quick review. It helps more Fever fans find the show and join the conversation.
Next up: the Fever finish their road trip Sunday at Minnesota against the Lynx.
Links to every story from today's episode are in the show notes, so check out anything that caught your interest.
That's it for today's Indiana Fever Daily Podcast. This is a Lantern Podcast.