INDIANAPOLIS — It took three tries, but the Indiana Fever finally secured their first home victory of the season after defeating the Seattle Storm 89-78 on Sunday. Fever superstar Caitlin Clark led the way with a game-high 21 points, while teammates Kelsey Mitchell and Sophie Cunningham chipped in with 17 points apiece.

The Fever are now 2-2, and the Storm fell to 1-3. Both teams were shorthanded, as Indiana star Aliyah Boston missed her first WNBA game due to a lower right leg injury, and Storm forward and leading scorer Dominique Malonga missed her first game this season due to a concussion.

Clark controls the game

After scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter and overtime of the Fever’s loss to the Washington Mystics on Friday, Clark picked up where she left off with her most efficient performance of the season Sunday. The Fever star entered Indiana’s matchup against Seattle shooting 41.3 percent from the field and 30.3 percent on 3-pointers through the first three games, but she emerged from her early offensive struggles by shooting 5-of-10 from the field and 2-of-4 on 3s Sunday.

One of Clark’s most impressive buckets was an and-1 in the second quarter. The two-time All-Star drove hard to the paint and banged into Seattle guard Jade Melbourne, who fouled her as she went up to shoot. Despite the contact, Clark still muscled the ball into the basket and then flexed toward the crowd.

Clark also showed off her passing with a game-high 10 assists. She was especially effective in transition, highlighted by a handful of fast-break passes, including one to Myisha Hines-Allen that gave Indiana a 53-40 lead in the second quarter. The Fever led by as many as 20 points.

Aliyah Boston update

Aliyah Boston attempts a shot between Chance Gray and Nneka Ogwumike. (Harry How/Getty Images)

Boston saw her streak of 275 consecutive starts between her WNBA and college career end Sunday due to a lower right leg injury. The three-time All-Star suffered the injury in Friday’s loss to the Mystics.

Fever coach Stephanie White said in her pregame news conference that Boston is “day-to-day.” Boston previously suffered a lower-leg injury in February when playing in Unrivaled, the professional 3-on-3 league. Asked if Boston aggravated that injury or if she sustained a new injury, White deferred to the Fever’s medical team.

“Our medical team can give you specifics about what exactly it is,” White said.

It should be noted that the media is not permitted to speak with the Fever’s medical staff about players’ injuries.

“But we’ve said this since the first day of training camp (that) we’re gonna be managing her and managing her ramp up, managing her in the day-to-day,” White continued. “Again, it’s still early and so there’s no reason to really push anything. We want to make sure we’re using an abundance of caution.”

Hines-Allen started in place of Boston. The veteran forward, who came over from the Dallas Wings in free agency, totaled 8 points, six rebounds, and four assists in 27 minutes.

Timpson’s scary injury

Makayla Timpson also embraced a bigger role in Boston’s absence, but the second-year pro exited the game with 49.7 seconds left after taking a big hit from Melbourne as Melbourne tried to steal a pass. Instead of beating Timpson to the ball, Melbourne accidentally slammed her shoulder into Timpson’s face, and she went down in a heap.

Timpson lay on the ground, writhing in pain, before she eventually got up. She walked back to the locker room with a towel over her face while being flanked by the Fever’s medical staff.

Timpson had 6 points and six rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench.

Johnson’s quick turnaround

Seattle rookie Flau’jae Johnson had a jam-packed weekend that included a practice, graduation and game across a three-day span. The 2026 No. 8 draft pick practiced with the Storm in Indianapolis on Friday before flying to Louisiana for her graduation at LSU on Saturday. Johnson missed Saturday’s practice so she could walk across the stage, but she rejoined the Storm on Saturday night and started Sunday.

Appearing in her fourth WNBA game, Johnson recorded 14 points and six rebounds in 28 minutes against the Fever. However, she struggled to find a rhythm, missing 11 of her 14 shot attempts.

Natisha Hiedeman scored a team-high 19 points for the Storm. Zia Cooke and Melbourne added 13 and 12 points, respectively.

Fever’s improved defense

The Fever bounced back from a poor defensive performance Friday, when they allowed the Mystics to shoot 56 percent from the field, by holding the short-handed Storm to 35 percent shooting on Sunday.

What’s more, the Fever had given up at least 104 points in each of their first two home games. Sunday marked the second time this season that the Fever held an opponent to 78 points, which fittingly coincides with the team’s two wins this season.