INDIANAPOLIS — Caitlin Clark’s rise to the WNBA rookie assist record was no easy feat. First, the Indiana Fever decimated the Seattle Storm 92-75 on Sunday afternoon. It got so bad that Clark and teammates Lexie Hull and Kelsey Mitchell were in the spotlight on practically every other possession. Clark also picked up her fifth technical foul of the year.

With about seven minutes left in the third quarter and the Fever leading 43-38, Clark hit the post to catch her ball. It was confusing at first. The Storm had lost the ball. But Clark later explained that she was frustrated because they had missed the arc on the previous play.

Clark stood motionless with his hands raised.

“(The referee) told me that was disrespectful to the game of basketball,” Clark said afterward. “I don’t know. It reminded me of the technical I got in college when I said ‘damn,’ where it was about personal frustration. Had nothing to do with the referee, had nothing to do with the other team.”

“I think we got a lot better after (the referee) did that,” Clark added. “So I want to thank him.”

Clark also said she and her teammates were finally able to catch their breath when the Fever’s timeout came midway through the quarter, or two minutes after the technical review. It wasn’t as loose a first half as Friday night’s against the Phoenix Mercury. Clark missed all five of her shots from beyond the arc and had more turnovers than assists, though she scored 225 goals with the two against Hull, setting a rookie record.

Even the third quarter was a struggle. Seattle is the fourth-best team in the WNBA and has won all three previous meetings with the Fever this season. Their defensive depth is always a hindrance. After the timeout, the Fever and Storm traded shots until the final siren. They traded blocks. Clark blocked a charge from Sami Whitcomb and was beaten in return by Ezi Magbegor.

Lexie Hull plays her career for Fever and argues with Clark

Indiana only led by one point in the fourth quarter. Then came Hull’s tantrum. Three-pointer after three-pointer, she screamed and showed the most emotion she’d ever shown this season, putting her body on the line to take the lead in the fourth quarter. The defensive spirit and determination have always been there. But this – this was an anomaly. Hull hit 6 of 7 three-pointers.

In her 78-game career, Hull only made two or more three-point shots six times.

Six 3-pointers and 22 points were both career highs on Sunday. Hull was the star of the show.

“To win in front of my grandmother, who came all the way from Spokane,” Hull began.

“Greetings, Cheryl,” Clark interrupted.

“Yeah, keep it up, Grandma Cheryl,” Hull added with a smile. “And my sister came from Austin. It’s amazing. Having her on the sidelines was super cool too. Really good. A really good feeling.”

Clark said she re-downloaded the X app onto her phone immediately after the game to post, “This is now a Lexie Hull fan account.” Clark announced her account will now be all about Hull if anyone wants to follow her.

Fever starts 2-0 after Olympic break and beats two teams over .500

The Fever scored 35 points in the first half. They then scored 33 points in the final quarter to move past the Storm. Just like Friday, Mitchell led the team with 16 points in the second half and stepped it up a gear to help earn the win. But there’s another identical theme here: The Fever are on a roll and are using that afterburner to score wins against two teams in the top half of the standings this weekend.

The fact that Aliyah Boston fought in the penalty box for Indiana in both games – against opponents like Brittney Griner, Nneka Ogwumike and Magbegor – is the perfect symbol.

On Friday in Phoenix, Mitchell and Natasha Cloud both received technical fouls and went at each other’s throats. Mitchell said moments like that can get teams going. Clark responded almost identically on Sunday: that the Fever only got better after their technical foul. Certainly another sellout crowd played a role. Fever fans have been there since day one. The players turn it into big wins.

“These fans were just crazy and totally excited,” Clark said. “Especially after the way we started the season, I think they definitely deserve it. And I think they’re starting to see the potential of this team when we play the way we’re supposed to… the assist record is cool too. (Ticha Penicheiro, who Clark passed) is obviously someone who supports myself a lot.”

The Fever are seventh in the WNBA and are three games out of the playoffs. The Atlanta Dream are ninth, the cutoff, and have also won two games in a row against teams in the top half of the standings. But that doesn’t matter. As long as the Fever keep playing like this, they will outlast everyone else all the way to the 2024 playoffs.