Mercury vs Fever: Caitlin Clark scores 29 to help Fever defeat Mercury and Diana Taurasi.

 INDIA -- The Phoenix Mercury mounted a fierce comeback in the second half, but Kelsey Mitchell scored 28 points and Caitlin Clark finished with 29 points and 10 assists to lead the Indiana Fever to a crucial 98-89 victory on Friday night.

The Fever celebrated the start of the WNBA season by adding a new dimension to the developing rivalry between Clark and three-time league champion Diana Taurasi in their first game back from the Olympic break. Mitchell scored six 3-pointers and Clark finished with four.

In the process of winning the three-game season series against Phoenix, Clark recorded her tenth double-double of the year.

One of Phoenix's three Olympic gold medalists from the United States, Kahleah Copper, led the Mercury with 32 points and eight rebounds. The other two, Brittney Griner and Taurasi

after scoring just 12 points in total in the first half, they finished with 16 points and 10 points, respectively.

When Taurasi said that Clark, the top pick, would have a rude awakening in her first pro season in April, the rivalry was first ignited. 

This week, Phoenix added more fuel to the fire when a young fan asked, "Who's Caitlin? There were two quick skirmishes during the game after that. "I'm here for Taurasi."

But whether it was from playing in two road games in two days after the Olympics or simply being worn out, Taurasi and her teammates weren't themselves early on, and it cost the Mercury as they fell behind 48-20 halfway through the second quarter.

But as soon as Taurasi and Griner started moving, the Mercury quickly returned. They led 62-61 late in the third quarter after cutting the deficit to 54-37 at the half and going on a 25-7 run to start the second half.

It was short-lived. After a 12-3 run to end the quarter, Katie Lou Samuelson's game-winning 3-pointer gave the Fever a 73-65 lead. From there, they never looked back.

According to Stats & Information, Clark now has 223 assists this season, two shy of tying 1998 Ticha Penicheiro (225) for the most by a rookie in WNBA history.

Summery: Friday night's 98-89 victory by the Fever completed the season sweep of the Mercury. As she looks to lead the Fever back to the postseason, Clark had yet another outstanding performance. She shot 8 of 16 from the field, including four 3-pointers, and finished with 29 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.

In her first game back after the break, Clark put on a standout performance that reminded supporters—including Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers—of why she is the clear favorite to win Rookie of the Year.

The victory raised the Fever's record to 12–15 for the year, and they are still ranked seventh in the WNBA rankings. Indiana is now one win away from matching its win total from the previous season, despite winning just 13 games in that previous campaign. As she widens her lead in the Rookie of the Year competition, Clark will try to keep leading the Fever to victory.