ATLANTA — NaLyssa Smith had 21 points and nine rebounds, Caitlin Clark added 16 points and seven assists, and the Indiana Fever beat the Atlanta Dream 91-79 on Friday night in front a record-breaking 17,575 fans at State Farm Arena.
Atlanta set a franchise record for single-game home attendance, surpassing the 11,609 who saw the WNBA team’s debut against the Detroit Shock in 2008 at the same venue.
The game was played at State Farm Arena, the home of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, due to high ticket demand to see Clark, the No. 1 pick of this year’s WNBA draft. The Dream’s usual home at Gateway Center Arena in College Park, just south of the Peach State’s capital city, has a capacity of 3,500.
The hyped matchup took a hit when it was announced that Atlanta’s Rhyne Howard, the No. 1 draft pick and rookie of the year in 2022 as well as a two-time WNBA All-Star, would not play due to a lower leg injury. Howard, a former prep standout for the Bradley Central Bearettes in Cleveland, Tennessee, exited in the third quarter of Wednesday night’s road loss to the Minnesota Lynx and did not return.
The Dream (6-8), have lost four of their past five games.
Indiana (7-10), which has won four in a row, scored a season-high 35 first-quarter points to build a 10-point lead after shooting 70% from the field.
Clark made her fourth 3-pointer of the game, and Indiana’s 10th, to extend the lead to 71-60 midway through the third quarter. It came during an 11-3 run that ended in a 79-62 lead. The Fever cruised in the fourth.
Kelsey Mitchell added 18 points and Aliyah Boston had 10 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks for Indiana, while Katie Lou Samuelson chipped in 10 points off the bench.
Tina Charles scored a season-high 24 for her 37th career 20-point game to lead Atlanta, Allisha Gray added 19 points and Haley Jones scored 12.
Atlanta’s next home game against Indiana, on Aug. 26, will also be played at State Farm Arena.