Usually, it is Caitlin Clark draining 3-pointers on demand, but the Indiana Fever sensation was upstaged by Jewell Loyd and the Seattle Storm on Thursday night.
The 30-year-old Loyd was sensational at Climate Pledge Arena, racking up 34 points and five rebounds en route to a resounding 89-77 victory over the Fever. Loyd was electric in the first half, nailing five threes before halftime to put the Storm in command. Seattle led by 14 at the half and held off an attempted fightback in the third quarter to cruise to victory.
Head coach Noelle Quinn paid tribute to Loyd’s ability to rapidly rack up points from beyond the arc. We knew it was coming and when it comes, it comes in a storm. In a barrage. We know she can rattle off points
said Quinn.
Meanwhile, it was a frustrating night for Fever rookie superstar Caitlin Clark, who finished with 15 points, six rebounds and seven assists. The Storm limited Clark to just three points in the second half. Seattle made the night difficult for Indiana’s star rookie Clark, especially in the second half when she often had to give up the ball because of Storm’s defense.
I could definitely be a little bit more aggressive to the basket, but I think I’m just going to try to take what the defense gives me and try to set my teammates up for success too
, Clark mentioned post-game.
The Fever have now dropped to 7-12 on the season, sitting fifth in the Eastern Conference ahead of Sunday’s road game against the Phoenix Mercury and Tuesday’s trip to Sin City to face the Las Vegas Aces. The Storm are back in action on Saturday against the Dallas Wings.
