Atlanta Dream lose nailbiter to Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever before record crowd at State Farm Arena

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever disappointed a record Atlanta crowd by holding off the Dream 84-79 on Monday night at State Farm Arena.
Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark (22) and Atlanta Dream's Jordin Canada (3) both dive for the ball in the second half of an WNBA basketball game, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Kelsey Mitchell scored 29 points, including the clinching free throws with 5 seconds left, Caitlin Clark added 19 points and the Indiana Fever disappointed a record Atlanta crowd by holding off the Dream 84-79 on Monday night.

In the closing seconds, without a timeout, Atlanta missed two 3-pointers but grabbed two offensive rebounds before fumbling the ball away, which led to Mitchell’s free throws.

Atlanta (10-19), which started the day a half-game out of the final playoff spot, trailed by 18 early in the second half when Clark hit a 3-pointer before outscoring the Fever (14-16) 41-32. The Dream got within two before Indiana’s five-point possession blunted the rally.