Caitlin Clark and her teammates celebrate a historic second triple-double for the Indiana Fever rookie against the LA Sparks on Wednesday. [photo: Imagn]

Caitlin Clark’s two free throws with 16.1 seconds remaining in the game sealed the Indiana Fever’s 93-86 win over the LA Sparks. Kia Nurse’s desperate 29-foot triple was a little short, allowing Clark to secure the rebound. Gainbridge Fieldhouse Arena erupted when she grabbed the board as the fans knew history had been made – again.

Before Wednesday, Clark was the only rookie in WNBA history to complete a game with a triple-double. On Wednesday night, she achieved this feat for the second time in front of a raucous home crowd that eagerly waited for that moment.

The Indiana Fever rookie couldn’t help but smile when she completed the feat:

After the game, Caitlin Clark had this to say when asked if she knew her stat leading into the game’s final possession:

“Of course I knew but we were just trying to get stops. I thought our defense got a lot better there at the end of the game. … We found a way to get it done but somebody had to get the rebound. We always joke about stealing each other’s rebounds, so it was fine.”

Against the LA Sparks, owners of the worst record in the WNBA this season, the Fever needed everything they could from Clark. After a good start, Indiana trailed 48-47 by halftime. Clark’s 10-point third-quarter explosion helped calm the nerves of Fever fans inside the sold-out arena.

Caitlin Clark dictated the tempo of the offense and troubled LA just by her movement. This was a fifth straight win for the Fever and ninth in their last 11 games.

Caitlin Clark further strengthened her Rookie of the Year case with another superb performance

The historic second triple-double that came with the win only strengthened Caitlin Clark’s Rookie of the Year case against Angel Reese. Clark’s rival has put up solid numbers but the Indiana Fever’s best record since 2016 is a difference maker. Behind the former Iowa star, the Fever also return to the playoffs after a seven-year absence.

Clark and Reese have seemingly been setting records every time they play. The Fever’s win improved their record to 18-16 for sixth place in the jockeying for playoff spots.

Meanwhile, the Chicago Sky(11-22), which had an 18-22 record last year, remain eighth after losing 90-71 to the Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday. They lost their seventh straight game and are in danger of missing the postseason.