Caitlin Clark scores 22 in return as Fever fend off Valkyries
Aliyah Boston had 20 points and 16 rebounds, Caitlin Clark added 22 points and nine assists in her return from a one-game absence, and the Indiana Fever defeated the Golden State Valkyries 90-82 on Friday night in Indianapolis.
Kelsey Mitchell added 19 points and Sophie Cunningham scored 11 for the Fever (4-2).
Tiffany Hayes scored 19 points, fellow reserve Kaitlyn Chen had 18, Veronica Burton had 17 and Kayla Thornton 10 to lead the Valkyries (3-2).
Lexie Hull made a 3-pointer, Boston followed with a jumper and Clark hit two free throws to pull the Fever within one point at the outset of the third quarter.
Hayes hit a 3-pointer, but Cunningham made a free throw and Clark added a 3-pointer to even the score at 48. Chen's 3-pointer gave Golden State the lead, but Clark's three-point play pushed Indiana ahead 53-52.
The lead changed hands twice more before Boston made a jumper and a 3-pointer to help the Fever open a 62-56 lead. The Valkyries got within two before Raven Johnson made a 3-pointer to help Indiana hold a 66-61 lead at the end of the quarter.
Boston and Johnson made consecutive layups to start the fourth-quarter scoring and extend the lead to nine. Hayes made a jumper, but Clark answered with a 3-pointer that gave the Fever a 73-63 lead.
Golden State crept within four with two minutes remaining, but Indiana made four free throws for an 88-80 lead with 41 seconds left.
Clark showed no ill effects from the back soreness that kept her out on Wednesday. She started the game with an assist, a field goal and a 3-pointer to give the Fever a 7-0 lead. The Valkyries scored the next seven points, and moments later, Thornton's 3-pointer gave them their first lead at 10-9.
The lead changed hands four more times and the score was tied at 15 before Indiana held a 19-18 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The lead changed hands twice more at the start of the second quarter before Golden State scored nine straight points to grab a 29-21 lead. Indiana crept within three before the Valkyries pushed the margin to seven on three occasions, the last being 44-37 at halftime.
--Field Level Media
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This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 7:15 PM.